


Taking a Chance on Rebellion

by mysteriousinvalue



Category: Wynonna Earp (TV)
Genre: Eventual Smut, Explicit Language, F/F, Masturbation, Mechanic!Haught, NSFW, Photographer!Waverly, TW: Implied/Referenced Sexual Assault, WayHaught Au, Wayhaught - Freeform, tw: trauma
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-07
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:33:20
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 57,751
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22153309
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mysteriousinvalue/pseuds/mysteriousinvalue
Summary: Tumblr prompt by green--tea--rex: Waverly Earp was experimenting around Purgatory with her new camera when she spotted the local troublemaker Nicole Haught and decided to take a few shots. Nicole noticed and helped her experiment some more.
Relationships: Waverly Earp & Nicole Haught, Waverly Earp/Nicole Haught
Comments: 54
Kudos: 347





	1. The Mysterious Rider

##### 

Hello! This is my first fic for the WE fandom and also first writing prompt. Tumblr prompt was provided by user: green--tea--rex. Thank you for providing and allowing me to use your idea. Here is the following prompt: 

Waverly Earp was experimenting around Purgatory with her new camera when she spotted the local troublemaker Nicole Haught and decided to take a few shots. Nicole noticed and helped her experiment some more.

Hope you like it!

Driving in the wintertime had always been tricky. Waverly tended to leave that for Wynonna, even if Wynonna bitched and moaned about having to drive her around. Waverly stared out the window, marveling over the fresh layer of snow against the overcast sky. Not the best day to take pictures but she needed to get started so she had enough time to wrap it all together. She still didn’t have her focus and hadn’t found anything worth basing her project on just yet, but was hoping to find something today without it actually snowing. Waverly pulled out her camera and installed the polarizing filter and lens hood to protect her camera lens and shots from distortion, in preparation of the impending snowfall.

“Look at you and all your fancy tools.” Wynonna looked over with a crooked smile.

“Here?” Wynonna looked over to Waverly as she slowed to a stop on the incline.

“Yes, this is perfect for the first shot. It looks so beautiful right now, doesn’t it?” Most of the drive up here consisted of an expanse of trees, which Wynonna didn’t care much for. There was something about this place, Waverly thought. The way the trees parted to a clearing that overlooked the city of Purgatory made Waverly speechless. She had wished her final project was on nature instead.

“Just like every other year in this shithole.” Wynonna turned up the heater and switched on the defroster. Waverly disregarded her sister’s comment and prepared herself to brace the cold. She grabbed her camera and pulled her beanie over it. The brunette made her way out of the old F-150 and walked her way up towards the edge of the cliff, her heart pounding in her chest from having to walk up the incline. Once Waverly reached the precipice, she took a deep breath and absorbed all of her surroundings. She could feel the burning in her lungs from how cold the air was. The view was astounding. The streets of Purgatory were clear of snow and she could distinguish some of the buildings. With that, she took her camera out and chose her vantage points. When finished, she covered her camera and got back inside of the truck.

“Good?” Wynonna moved her legs off the bench seat so Waverly could get in.

“Yeah, I’ve never been up here before. It’s a perfect start.” 

“Told you.” Wynonna winked at her and made a u-turn to head back to town. “Don’t tell anyone else about this place, though. Where to next?”

“Yeah, yeah. It’s your place of ‘business’.” Waverly motioned with air quotes before moving the heating vents in her direction. “I don’t know where I want to go. I figure most people will want to take pictures of the places with the most history but I think I want to look at places that blend in. The places people don’t really notice.”

“Alright, that’s kind of easy. What about those buildings that burned down a couple of summers ago?” 

“Didn’t they level them down already? It’s just dirt now, I think.”

“Exactly. There are buildings behind where those used to be so you can get a good shot. Only problem is that we have less than an hour to make it back for class. Y’think you’ll have enough time?”

“If not, I’ll come back later. Thanks for bringing me to your spot. I don't think I've ever realized how nice Purgatory looks.” Wynonna scoffed and the conversation settled between them. The only thing that was around was the astonishing nature. Despite the fact that Purgatory snowed every year, the beauty never seemed to escape Waverly. She could imagine the landscapes of Purgatory she’d capture through time. Seasons expressed through pictures in a time lapse; to see the leaves turn and fall, then to the snowfall, and, lastly, to blooming trees. It’s a rebirth that she wished she could commit to. Between school and work, there wasn’t time to reinvent herself. Hell, there was barely any time to hang out with friends. She envied Wynonna’s carelessness sometimes. While Waverly was studying and working, Wynonna was out with friends and going to parties. Wynonna was always, as she said, “enjoying the wonders of college life.” Her older sister used to try and drag Waverly out but she remained consistent with her excuses. Eventually Wynonna stopped asking, and as much of a relief it was at first, some small and nagging though that made Waverly wish she would start asking her again. She’s not sure if she would say “yes” now, but she wished she could loosen up a little instead of being stressed all the time. 

“There you go, babygirl.” Wynonna had parked against the opposite side of the road where the empty dirt field lay. Waverly snapped out of her thoughts and got out to get some pictures. It was snowing lightly and still very overcast. She lifted her camera to zoom in to the buildings in order to omit as much of the dirt field as possible. Across the street there was a sign for a heavy duty truck repair shop. Their gate was open and she could see an open bay door where a semi truck was parked. She waited for the cars to stop passing before taking her shot, but before she could take the picture, a motorcyclist pulled up and parked on the street just outside the repair shop. _Damnit_ , she whispered. She took the shot as they hit the kickstand down and prepped to get off the motorcycle. They were wearing a thick coat with reflectors and black coveralls. 

Waverly kept her eye trained on the rider with a curiosity she didn’t quite understand. They pulled their helmet off and all she could see was red hair and fair skin; then, without warning, they looked in Waverly’s direction. Waverly pulled the camera away from her face so fast that she didn’t even get a good look at their face. She could feel the heat rising from her neck in embarrassment of having been caught. When Waverly looked up, she saw the rider had already descended the bike and was walking through the shop gate. Her body involuntarily shook to rid herself of the chills she got. She made sure to get another shot even with the motorcyclist’s back to her. The sound of the F-150’s horn nearly made her jump and drop her camera. She scowled at Wynonna while making her way inside the truck. 

“Sorry, there was too much traffic to get an open shot. I’ll have to come back later.” Waverly sighed and pulled off her gloves. 

“Guess you’ll have to get here super early then. That road is usually pretty busy. Ready for class?” Waverly kept thinking of the previous encounter and her breath hitched. She felt so embarrassed, yet still very curious as to who they might be. She’d definitely planned on coming back to get the picture. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

It’s been about a month since Purgatory’s first snowfall of the year and the blankets of snow, although beautiful, became somewhat annoying to trudge through. Waverly grasped the straps of her backpack inward towards her sternum in an effort to shake the chill from her bones. There was the community coffee shop, the only sensible place Waverly could find to study. She opened the door and stomped her feet to relieve her boots of any snow.

“Mornin’, Waves.” Orin’s voice came from underneath the counter. Waverly smiled before taking her place at her usual table. She pulled her backpack off and pulled out what she needed before going up to the counter. Waverly stood up on her tiptoes with her hands on the counter to look for her regular barista who was still searching for something in one of the cabinets.

“Morning. Need any help?” She said cheerfully. Orin sighed before closing the cabinet doors and giving up his search.

“No, I know it’s around here somewhere.” Orin stood up and looked at the cabinetry then, finally, to an expectant Waverly. “We have this new hire that started this week for mid to late shifts and they clean all the blenders and stuff before they leave; however, the one really good frappe blender we have isn’t where it should be. Well, c’est la vie. What’re you goin’ have this morning?”

“I’ll have the usual and a blueberry scone.” Orin hitched an eyebrow at Waverly’s abundance of energy and contentment.

“You know, for someone that never orders any coffee, you sure do have a lot of energy in the mornings. Mornings for me are groggy and dull; yet, every morning, I see you come in and you’re always chipper.” Orin walked over to grab some gloves before getting the scone and handing it to Waverly. “Same thing? No whip?” Waverly shook her head and handed him money.

“I guess, well, I figure the mood I set in the morning sets my mood for the day. Plus,” Waverly paused to put her change in her wallet, “aside from having to shovel the snow out of the driveway in the morning, I don't think mornings aren’t all that bad.” Waverly made her way back to her table and opened her laptop to check the time. 06:15 AM. _She’s late._ Not out of the ordinary for Wynonna. Waverly lazily reached inside of her backpack for her camera. She hooked up her camera to her computer to do some editing on the photos she had taken yesterday. Nothing special, really. She wasn’t even sure she would keep them all, and now browsing through them all, she’s less inclined to keep most of them. As she flipped through the prospective photos, she unintentionally passed a photo that reminded her of the motorcyclist from the day before. Carefully she clicked back a couple of pictures and examined the full form of the rider. She remembered how tall and fair skinned they were while clad in steel toed boots and black or navy blue coveralls. She remembered when they removed their helmet to reveal red hair before looking in her direction. The memory still gave her chills and a strange, fluttering feeling in the pit of her stomach. 

It was then, looking at the photo she captured of the mysterious redhead that she realized who they could be. Sheriff Nedley had several run-ins with some local street racing groups led by a gentleman known as Dolls. _Weird name,_ she thought. 

_Who are you?_

_“I’ve never seen you with them before.”_ She whispered, hand over her mouth and elbow perched on the table. Waverly was brought out of her reverie as Wynonna dropped her backpack on the table and sat next to her. 

“Watcha doin’?” Wynonna peered over at Waverly’s computer while also breaking off a piece of her scone.

“Oooh. Who’s the mystery hottie? You didn’t tell me about _that_ when we were there yesterday.” Wynonna looked at Waverly with a full mouth and wiggling brow.

“I don’t know. I just happened to catch them when I was taking a picture of that shop off Fifth.” She sighed. 

“You know, you should get out there. You’re always so caught up in work and school, you need to take some time for yourself and have some fun.” Wynonna nudged Waverly’s shoulder with her own and pointed at the picture. 

“Now, that,” she chewed off another piece of the scone, “that could be fun.” Wynonna got up to order something while Waverly kept dissecting the picture. She didn't even get to see their face. She pressed forward to the next picture which consisted of the same setting but with the rider having dismounted the motorcycle, their back to the camera. She hadn’t noticed before, but they had--what she assumed--shoulder length fiery red hair that was pulled up into a bun. A female, maybe? She wasn’t sure why she was so interested but her curiosity kept building. She needed to know. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Closing time at Shorty’s meant Waverly’s day was nearly over, that is, if she didn't count the buttload of studying time she still had. She was exhausted from the busy week and was chastising herself for not pulling her project together for her photography class yet. It was getting to the point that she had thought of leaving Purgatory and adventuring to different cities to find a more alluring focus. 

Her attention had been stolen all day by the mysterious biker from the previous day. Perhaps she would go to check out the shop. For science. And, more importantly, her project. _I mean, how often is it that new people come to town?_ While wiping the counter down, she noticed Sheriff Nedley in her peripherals. Couldn’t hurt to ask. If anybody knew who her mystery person was, it had to be Nedley. She made quick work of the counter, reset the till, and took care of any other miscellaneous responsibilities she had before clocking out. Before going to talk to the sheriff, Waverly made sure to change into her winter clothes. She had to be quick because although Wynonna almost always came in to have a drink or two, she didn’t want her sister knowing about her odd curiosity of the person who was ruling her thoughts. She sat in the bar seat next to Nedley, who had been sitting there enjoying a televised hockey game. 

“Y’know, for someone who comes here everyday, I’m surprised that you stay so long. You don’t get tired of good ol’ Shorty’s?” Waverly turned in her chair, trying to get comfortable.

“Over the years, I’ve grown accustomed to being here. Gives me a chance to keep myself tied to the community while also meeting passersby and the like.” Waverly looked back and forth from Nedley to his untouched drink. When he was here he didn’t really drink, which made it even more obscure to her why he would stay to people watch.

“I’m here almost every day and I hardly ever see new people.” She paused, now second guessing whether she should ask or not. She kept shifting in her chair, apprehensive about asking.

“Well, actually, " Waverly crossed her legs. "the other day I saw someone I hadn’t seen before.” She let out a breath and laughed awkwardly. 

“Maybe you know them? Red hair. Female, I think?” She posed it as more of a question. “Mechanic? Ringing any bells?” Nedley pulled his attention from the TV to Waverly; the look on his face made Waverly feel like sinking down in her seat.

“You needn’t worry about her. She’s no good. You’re a good person; one of the best Purgatory has.” So, she is a girl. Waverly’s brow furrowed in confusion. Despite the look Nedley was giving her, she decided to keep pressing forward.

“What did she do?” Nedley sighed and took a sip of his drink for probably the first time tonight.

“She’s had a few run-ins with me and the boys at the precinct. Illegal street races at night and souping up cars with illegal parts.” Nedley sighed heavily. It had been just as she thought. Illegal street races aren’t _that_ bad. _Right?_

“She’s got quite the streak and hasn’t seemed to let up.” Nedley was interrupted by Wynonna barging through the bar doors.

“Hey there, barkeep. Whiskey neat, yeah?” She proclaimed. Waverly’s shoulders slumped. At least she had gotten some information prior to Wynonna being here. Wynonna was already on her way towards them so Waverly decided to make a quick escape.

“Thanks, sheriff. Say ‘hi’ to Chrissy for me.” She gave Nedley a hug and kiss on the cheek. She turned to join Wynonna at the bar where Wynonna was having her first shot of the night. 

“You sure are riled up already. What’s the occasion?” Waverly inquired, leaning against the bar. 

“There’s a big party tonight at Mercedes’ house. They’re celebrating the near end of the semester and the upperclassman that are graduating.” Wynonna tossed the shot back expertly and immediately called for a second.

“Do you know what that means, babygirl?”

“That people are graduating?” 

“No,” she grabbed the next shot and took it. “It means free booze and the last chance to bang the last guy I have on my list.”

“I should’ve expected that. Well, I can drop you off and pick you up since you’re getting off to a strong start.” Waverly grabbed the F-150 keys from Wynonna and took a seat on the closest barstool. 

“You should come, Waves. Get out of your comfort zone. Do something for you. Maybe find yourself some fun too. I know a lot of the guys. Holy hell,” Wynonna slapped her hands together then grabbed Waverly by the shoulders.

“I could be your wingwoman! C’mon! I’d hype you up so much.” Wynonna gushed with enthusiasm and Waverly sat there hesitating to answer. She had said she wished Wynonna would ask her to go out again but then she thought of all the studying she had to do. She had been doing a lot of studying, though. _What’s one night?_

“I’ll go,” Wynonna shrieked and pulled Waverly into a strong embrace. “But, I’m not going to stay out all night. I’ll go for a little bit.” Waverly motioned over Wynonna's should to her coworker for two more shots. If she was going to go through with this, she’d at least need to be tipsy. Once they separated, they stayed at Shorty’s for a round of beer and took off. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

When they pulled up to Mercedes’ house the party looked like it had already been it had been going on for a couple of hours. Waverly and Wynonna got out of the truck and pushed through the crowds on the front porch. The whole house was crowded with people and Mercedes was nowhere to be found. Wynonna grabbed Waverly’s hand and dragged her through the crowds to the kitchen with her. Waverly noticed some of the people there, mostly because she had seen them with Wynonna or took some general education classes with them. A part of her was already regretting her decision to come here, but she did miss dancing. She would probably stay and dance then say her goodbyes. She looked over to Wynonna who was talking to someone she didn’t recognize. She could hear Wynonna say “thanks” and then she was pulling her away again towards the sliding door. Once outside, Wynonna looked over the crowds of people until she found who she had been searching for. When Wynonna reached her target she released Waverly’s hand and greeted a group of people. _Well, that was fast._

Waverly looked around to see if she knew anybody but failed to find anyone. She went back to the kitchen and grabbed a plastic cup. She pulled a small bottle from her jacket pocket and poured herself a drink. Maybe she should have invited someone instead of coming here to be a third wheel. 

Waverly made her way to the living room--the apparent dance floor. Now, this really was hard, not having anyone to dance with in a sea of strangers. It didn’t used to be like that. She had been in dance since her youth and even did cheerleading throughout grade school and high school. At one point, she used to be able to dance unabashedly, regardless of who was in the room. It didn’t make sense as to why that had changed but Waverly pushed the thoughts from her head and drank whatever was left in her cup. Liquid courage doesn’t hurt. The added alcohol had given her a good enough buzz that helped eat away at any second thoughts she might have had. Waverly closed her eyes and let the bass of the music thrum through her body. She could feel the bass like a heartbeat, like the music was drawing her out. She opened her eyes and walked into the crowds until she reached a place she felt comfortable. 

She closed her eyes again and let her body and mind breathe for the first time in a while. Waverly’s body found rhythm with the song and the tensions she carried melted away. There was a lightness and happiness that bloomed from her abdomen and outwards, a feeling that could only make her smile. She stayed there dancing, eyes closed, occasionally taking swigs of the bottle she’d brought. Suddenly she felt like someone was watching her and her eyes opened, half-lidded; still moving to the music while nonchalantly searching for the source of discomfort. While skimming the room her eyes passed a distinct and familiar red which pulled her attention back to the person she had overlooked. _Was it her?_ It had to be, relatively tall and colored hair—although down now, reaching her collarbones. Her mysterious motorcyclist stood in the middle of the staircase, maintaining her gaze with Waverly even after the youngest Earp met her eyes. Soon, Waverly wasn’t moving anymore, caught up in examining the features of the woman’s face. Her stomach tightened. She hadn’t felt that kind of adoration she saw in the redhead’s face since high school. There was an overwhelming sense of adoration on the woman's face that was nearly palpable. Waverly took a few steps back without breaking their trance. The redhead stepped forward, making a cautious advancement. Waverly looked behind her and through the crowds of people to the truck, then back to the approaching woman. Waverly’s feet picked up the pace, getting through the crowds of people until she was inside the truck. With her heart in her throat, she threw the truck into gear and drove off. 

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

It was almost time to get up yet, Waverly found herself tossing and turning since picking up Wynonna. When Waverly showed up, most of the people were gone but she couldn’t help searching through the remaining people in hopes of catching her eye again. To her disappointment, the redhead wasn’t there. And, that was it. The curiosity, the disappointment, the flutter she felt in her stomach. All the reasons why she’s so restless. Waverly still didn’t know why she fled when the taller woman was making her way to her but there was such a strong intensity burning between them. An intensity that Waverly hadn’t been able to properly make sense of. It was _magnetic._ In a strange, forbidden type of way.

_Why can’t I get you out of my head?_ Waverly grabbed her pillow and put it over her face. All she could think about was the redhead’s flushed face, eyes trained on Waverly. Her lips were slightly parted, almost as if she was in awe. Granted, her lips turned up into a small smile once Waverly spotted her. They don’t even know each other! She pulled the pillow off of her face and sighed. She’s not going to sleep. Waverly got up and organized her things to get ready for the day. Maybe she would pass by the shop to get the picture she had intended the first time. It’s early enough and she would be able to avoid the traffic and possible interruptions. She dressed quickly and grabbed her stuff to throw in the truck. Next thing she knew she was in the truck headed to the field across from the repair shop. Waverly had an hour before having to go back to pick up Wynonna. The truck was damn cold and the apprehension only elevated her jitters. The anxiety continues to increase as she gets closer. It’s silly, this whole thing. 

Waverly pulled to the side of the road and assembled her filter and cover. Just as before, the gate was open to the shop but there wasn't a truck in the bay. _No motorcycle._ She got out of the truck and tried to find the same spot she had previously taken. Her hands were freezing. She’d obviously underestimated how cold it would be by not bringing her gloves. She let the camera hang from her neck so she could breathe into her hands. _Should’ve left the truck running._ Waverly tried to shake off the cold and grabbed her camera again to get the shots she came for. While zeroing in on the shop, a service truck entered her shot from the right. _Of course._ The truck pulled through the repair shop gates and into the empty bay where the passenger got out with variously sized boxes and disappeared somewhere in the shop. The truck proceeded to back up out of the gate. Waverly lowered her camera again and shoved her hands in jacket pockets, waiting for the truck to get out of the way before resuming the shot. When the truck was finally out of sight, Waverly took multiple pictures from her ideal stance then moved to get different angles. 

By the time she had finished getting multiple shots of all vantage points, a slight snow flurry had begun. Waverly wiped the screen of her camera and browsed through the shots to check for inconsistencies in the photographs. The sound of an engine getting cut off made her freeze. Hopefully it’s not Sheriff Nedley. Especially after his warning from yesterday. She could hear the footsteps of someone slowly walking through snow on the sidewalk until they stopped. Waverly turned around and there she was. Her stomach dropped. The same woman from before, in the same getup Waverly had seen when Wynonna brought her here for the first set of pictures. 

“Waverly, right?” She spoke with an even tone. _How does she know my name?_ Waverly tried to say something back but the words were caught in her throat. She swallowed thickly before responding.

“Yes, Waverly. Waverly Earp.” She felt dumb, why add the last name? Then again, why was she so nervous?

“And, you are?” Waverly walked closer to the tall redhead. Her having to raise her voice with an already dry throat was making her throat hurt from the strain. She made sure not to get too close; just close enough to speak at a normal volume so she could be heard. 

“Nicole Haught. Earp, huh? Sister of Wynonna?” Nicole studied the youngest Earp’s face. Waverly felt like she was under a microscope but Nicole obviously didn’t know all that much about her aside from her name.

“Yeah, you know her?” Waverly put her hands in her pockets. Her hands were probably the only things that were cold right now even though she was freezing just a minute ago. 

“No, never met her.” Nicole kept her eyes trained on Waverly, not clearly knowing where she was going with the conversation. “She’s a friend of a friend.”

“I remember you from last night. You were dancing. Before you left, anyway.” Nicole gave a cheeky smile. Waverly’s cheeks, already flushed from the cold, turned beet red in embarrassment. Running away was clearly not something Waverly thought would be feasible now. Nicole noticed the change in energy and looked away from Waverly, trying to find a way to change the subject. Nicole looked over to the spot Waverly was taking pictures and nodded her head as a gesture to look in that direction. 

“So, you’re the one who was here a couple of days ago. With your camera.” She drew out the last words until Waverly cut her off.

“It’s for a project. I have to take pictures of places in the city. Yet, it seems like,” Waverly paused and looked down with a sheepish smile, “every time I try to get a good picture, you show up.” Waverly looked up at Nicole again to see Nicole laughing. It’s no wonder, Waverly is talking a million miles an hour.

“I suppose it’s a coincidence. That or you’re a stalker.” Nicole teased and Waverly’s eyes went big then reduced to slits.

“Real funny. Speaking of stalkers, how do you know my name?” Waverly tried to take control of the conversation. At this point her image already looked suspicious, can’t do anything else but try and gain the upper hand. The thought still didn’t help her nervousness.

“Oh, w-well,” Nicole chuckled and cleared her throat. “It was a party. I asked around. You kind of left before I could get it from you myself.” Nicole could feel a blush creeping up her neck. 

“I had to go.” Waverly nervously checked her watch. She couldn’t stay much longer and she had no idea what she was doing. Yet, she was drawn to the redhead and found she didn’t want to leave but instead, uncover more of exactly who Nicole Haught was.

“I should really--” 

“Go out with me sometime?” Nicole interrupted and even took a step forward courageously but then retracted in fear of being too forward. Waverly’s heart sped up, if that was even possible with how responsive her body had been to the anxiety she felt. She had never been asked out by a woman before, but god was it a different, far more irrepressible plethora of feelings.

“I was going to ask last night but,” The redhead bit her lip and shrugged, “I was too late and I don’t want to lose that chance a second time.” Waverly still hadn’t said anything, there was silence for an uncomfortable amount of time. Waverly’s mind was blank as she didn’t expect the conversation to take this turn. She didn’t even know Nicole. Not to mention, what she does know about her isn’t particularly good. Waverly has never been a troublemaker. Sure she’s had the urge to break the rules a few times but nothing close to run ins with the police. _But there’s something about her._ Nicole isn’t hostile, rude, or impolite. She’s got a gentle smile and a calm, confident exterior that picks at Waverly. More than anything, Waverly wanted to know more about her and if she is what Nedley says she is. Not to mention, there’s a fleeting feeling of adventure that sprouts in her stomach when she looks at Nicole. But, there’s also potential danger. Then again, Wynonna did say to get out of her comfort zone. Nicole was new and enticing. 

“I really have to go.” Waverly exhaled a long breath she had been unconsciously holding for a while now. She wanted to say, ‘yes,’ but there was something holding her back. She hadn’t ever questioned her identity before and if Nicole had meant what Waverly thought she meant, then she wasn’t sure what she should do. She did know for sure that she had wanted to see Nicole again, though.

“What if I come by later? Today I only have one class, so I have a couple of hours to kill before I have to go to work.” Waverly averted her eyes from Nicole’s face, trying to avoid eye contact in fear that she would run again. “You could show me the shop.” Waverly finally looked up to find the taller woman smiling.

“I’d like that.” Nicole couldn’t help her smile from growing. She then remembered she might be on a road service call later; her eyebrows raised and she patted her pockets looking for her wallet. She pulled her wallet out and sifted through cards before grabbing one and handing it to Waverly.

“My cellphone number is on there. Just in case I’m not in the shop when you stop by.” Waverly looked over the card and read it aloud: 

“Diesel and Alternative Fuel Equipment. Master Technician and Road Service Technician. You must be really good with your hands.” Waverly regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth.

“I could show you.” Nicole offered, flashing a grin she couldn’t possibly hide. “You know, when you stop by later. Maybe I could teach you a trick or two since I’m prepping an engine for reassembly.” Waverly shoved the card into her pocket. She checked her watch again. 6:30 AM. She was definitely going to be late and would have the unfortunate task of answering Wynonna’s questions. A phone chime pulled Waverly from her thoughts until she realized it wasn’t her phone. 

“Sorry, one sec,” Nicole pulled her phone out and checked her notifications. It was a message from the customer she was supposed to be meeting right now. 

“Unfortunately I have to go. I’ve got a customer waiting.” Nicole motioned to the truck. “If you’re still up for it, I’ll see you later. It was a pleasure, Miss Earp.” Nicole nodded her head and reached her hand out with an unwavering smile. Waverly met her halfway, a tinge of electricity shot from her palm and through her nerves. She’d definitely be coming back.


	2. A Starry Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waverly spends more time with Nicole in an attempt to further understand her feelings. Also, Waverly and Nicole getting to know each other better.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I'm so grateful for everybody that has read the story. I did not expect the response at all. So, thank you for reading and your responses. I'm trying to write a chapter each week and publish it on Monday but I did start school again so my ability to write will be reduced but I will try my best to keep up with the one chapter a week standard. Also! There is a lot of mechanical talk in this chapter. I've done my best to describe the parts in the story but will be providing links in the chapter notes at the end of the story so there's a greater understanding of what's going on. I'm sorry in advance if it's confusing. If anyone has any suggestions and/or questions, please let me know. I want to, again, thank the original prompt writer, Tumblr user green--tea--rex. Without them, this story wouldn't be possible. Thank you all again for reading and your support, I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Waverly’s foot tapped against the floor at an expert speed. Her teacher had gone over on another repeated lecture about lighting and shade. She pulled her phone from her pocket to check the time. _Fuck._ There wasn’t a rush, really. When Waverly tried to wake up Wynonna for class she got a pillow thrown at her and some incoherent words muffled by blankets. Wynonna was three sheets to the wind when Waverly found her and knocked out in a matter of minutes on the drive home. Waverly was lucky Wynonna woke up because she couldn’t have imagined dragging her out of the car and into the house without being caught. Sure they were of age but Waverly did still respect and adhere to the rules set by her aunt considering there weren’t many to begin with. Wynonna is probably still in bed, fighting a mean hangover from last night. Considering Waverly hadn’t received any texts or calls from her, she figured her big sister was not yet ready to embrace the world. She was a little thankful for that too considering the mountain of questions Wynonna would be asking because Waverly wasn’t at the house and came late, which is unlike her.

With half of her body out of the desk, Waverly grasped the F-150 keys as the teacher’s lecture dwindled down. Any minute now she would be able to go get something to eat and head over to the shop. Her much anticipated destination of the day. As soon as the teacher released the class, Waverly was on her feet and out the door. This had been the most excited Waverly had been in a long time. Her nervousness was still there and she was sure it would grow, just as before, but she wanted to relish in the new combination of happy feelings without all the anxiety that was expected to come later. 

Waverly reached the F-150, opened the door and set her backpack down on the passenger seat. She got in the truck and pulled her phone from her front pant pocket. At the same time that her phone came out, so did Nicole’s card. Waverly picked it up off the bench seat and pondered whether to call or to just show up. Her nerves ate at her again. It was supposed to be a simple meet-up, planned but not planned? She hadn’t any idea how to go by it but it wouldn’t hurt to bring Nicole food. _Right? >_ Or maybe it was too much to bring food. But it’s a generous gesture? _Screw it._ Waverly turned the key in the ignition and made her way to her favourite vegan shop in town. 

Waverly parked outside the repair shop making sure she really didn’t see the motorcycle from before. _Maybe it wasn’t Nicole’s._ She looked down to the takeout and took a deep breath. 

“Let’s hope she has a taste for veggie burgers.” Waverly grabbed the bag and took another deep breath before getting out of the truck. _It’s not going to be weird,_ she kept telling herself. Butterflies rose in her stomach as she turned the corner and entered through the shop gates. This was a horrible idea. She didn’t even know where to find Nicole or if she was even here. Maybe she should’ve called. Waverly convinced herself to keep walking anyway, pushing her negative thoughts from her mind. As she got closer she could see that the shop actually had three bays, two of which were full. There was someone underneath a truck with a flashlight and another male that was holding various sized boxes making his way through the shop. Waverly tried to see beyond the trucks in the shop but couldn’t due to their size. The parking outside of the bays was packed with trucks parked double, one in front of another across both the left and right sides. “Mack” and “Volvo” were imbedded into the grills of the trucks. Same brands Waverly saw on Nicole’s business card. Waverly reached the incline of concrete leading to the only through empty bay. The shop had three bays but two trucks fit back to back in one, yet, there weren’t many people in the shop that she could see. _Perhaps they’re on break._

Waverly looked behind her, in an attempt to disguise her uneasiness. Nobody was around. She began to walk through the empty bay, examining every inch of the shop. The building itself felt raw. The steel beams, piping, and walls standing out like they were the skeleton of the building. The various trucks in the shop had their hoods open for the engines to see. Some of them had parts removed, from what Waverly could tell, but no one working on them. A truck in the left corner caught her eye. The truck had the hood off and there was nothing in the engine bay. What she assumed was the engine was bolted to a stand. She looked into the engine bay and saw how empty it was; nothing but lines and wiring harnesses left. She looked over at the assumed engine and didn’t find anything on it. Out of curiosity, she turned to the tables adjacent to the wall and found a multitude of parts she assumed belonged to the engine. Waverly was dumbfounded to most of the things that were neatly organized on the three tables but ultimately found herself impressed with the size of the components. Often holding her hand close to the objects to determine scale.

“I didn’t think you’d show.” Nicole’s voice appeared from behind Waverly. Waverly turned quick, heart thumping in her chest from the suddenness and embarrassment. When Waverly finally got a good look at Nicole, a slow burn crept it’s way to her core. Nicole’s hair was tied up in a small bun and her face and neck covered in black smudges in variance from faint to dark. She was wearing black coveralls and boots that made Waverly feel shorter than she already is. There was definitely nothing clean about Nicole right now as her coveralls were covered in dirt and grease. Waverly glanced passed Nicole’s hands before moving back up to face her directly. 

“Neither did I.” Waverly lied and Nicole’s smile grew. “So, you’re working on this one then?” 

“Yup. This is the engine I was telling you about. Unfortunately,” Nicole walked over to where Waverly was and lifted one of the large gears. “You missed all the good stuff. It’s all apart already.” Nicole looked down at Waverly. They were in close proximity. Close enough that there was almost a chance Nicole could ruin Waverly’s clothes, so, she stepped back.

“Not that big of a deal, though. I’m going to put it back together soon, just not today. We have to wait on parts. I can show you something else, if you want?” Nicole put down the gear and turned to the brunette. Waverly wasn’t opposed to learning but was more hungry than in a learning mood.

“I think I’d have to start at the very beginning. Like,” Waverly gestured to the parts on the table, “what all this is. That would be a good start. Also, I brought food. I wasn’t sure if you’d eaten--‘cause I haven’t--so I brought you something, just in case.” Nicole smiled and brought her lower lip between her teeth and looked down at her hands that were removing oil covered gloves. 

“I’m starved.” Nicole looked back up to Waverly. If Waverly wasn’t dying when she first saw Nicole, she was definitely having some inner struggles now. 

“You mind if I clean up real quick?” Nicole lifted her arms and looked down to emphasize how dirty she was from working. 

“Yes, of course! I’ll just be here.” 

“Perfect. Do you mind if I get through? My toolbox is right there behind you.” Nicole pointed to a large matte black toolbox at the end of the bay. Waverly moved automatically. “Actually, c’mere.” Nicole walked to her box, opened the deepest drawer on the bottom left, and pulled out a box of gloves. “Just in case you want to touch anything. You might want to watch your clothes because it’s hard to stay clean in a shop.” Nicole pulled out a pair of gloves and handed them to Waverly. 

“Thank you.” Waverly said. Nicole forgot about the food and reached a hand out.

“No problem. I can take that if you want to venture. I’ll go heat it up while I change out. Oh! And try not to underestimate the weight of all that stuff, some of it is solid steel or aluminum.” Waverly handed the bag to Nicole without thought. Nicole took the bag and removed a couple of tools from her pockets before making her way around the truck and out of sight. 

Nicole moved the zipper down to her waist, slid down the sleeves off her arms, and pushed the top of the coveralls down to her waist. The cold hit her skin, instantaneously cooling her down. It felt good on her skin but was rapidly absorbing the heat from her body. When she reached the lunchroom, she removed the boxes, checked the contents to see how long to heat it up for and put them in the microwave. Nicole washed up as fast as she could and then made her way to the locker room. She opened the lock on her locker and pulled one of the hung coveralls off and sat down on the bench. Nicole closed her eyes and let her head hang back, exhaling all the exhaustion from her body. Visions of Waverly passed behind her eyelids. Watching her raise her hand against the parts on the table while looking inquisitively. Then back to Mercedes house where she danced confidently in a large body of people. So small, yet so prominent in the crowd. _Fuckin’ A._ Nicole opened her eyes and began to remove her boots. Once her boots were off she removed the coveralls and put the clean ones on. She zipped up it to her collarbones and put her boots back on. She pulled the boxes from the microwaves and put them back into the bag.

When Nicole came back with the food, Waverly was running her fingers over one of the connecting rods up till she reached the piston rings. Her head cocked to the side as if she was trying to ascertain why the bottom ring was different than the other two. Waverly’s curiosity made Nicole’s heart skip a beat. _She’s adorable._ Nicole snuck up behind her, food in hand, and signaled towards the bottom ring.

“That’s the oil control ring. It controls the oil supply for the ring itself as well as for the liner and piston skirt which is here.” Nicole spoke over Waverly’s shoulder while she made a bracket with her fingers to show the length of the piston below that of the rings. She was so close, Waverly could almost feel her against her. A feeling that made Waverly forget to breathe. “You can’t see right now, but when the two top rings are new they are expanded a bit. The expansion of the rings is what creates a seal between the piston and the liner. They’re called compression rings. They help keep the compression from passing through the piston chamber and into the cylinder block. If pistons didn’t have those, the engine would have misfires and wouldn’t really run.” Nicole dropped her hand but Waverly wasn’t sure whether to move or not, her body fixed in place. Moments later she felt the presence of Nicole leave her and prompted her to turn.

“This huge piece of steel here is the cylinder block. The only thing I’ve left in is the liners.” Nicole spread a flat hand over six large holes in the steel. 

“How did you learn all this?” 

“Kind of a long story that’s best said for later.” Nicole lifted the bag of food again. “Ready?” 

“Yes.” Waverly’s stomach spoke for her. “Where do you want to--?” 

“There’s a lunch room, if you’re okay with that. It’s a little cold out here,” Nicole lifted her hand off the engine and turned her palm over. “And a little dirty.” She laughed. “C’mon.” Nicole led Waverly through the shop.

“A good amount of the guys called out today. My guess is they had too much to drink last night. Other than that, this place is usually loud and busy. The cool thing about the job is they’re pretty lax. As long as we get work done within time, my boss and foreman don’t care.” Nicole opened the door for Waverly and followed behind. She put the food on a table and they both went to wash their hands. Waverly pulled the boxes out of the bag and slid one to Nicole. 

“It’s a veggie burger. I wasn’t entirely sure what you liked—“

“This is perfect. Thank you.” They ate in silence until Nicole got up about half-way through her meal. 

“I’ll be right back.” Waverly pulled her phone from her pocket and checked her notifications. There wasn’t anything. Not unusual, considering Wynonna was at home. She did expect her older sister to be asking about the truck or complaining about being stuck at the house alone, but, Wynonna always found her way around. _Wouldn’t hurt to check on her._

\- Are you alive?

Nicole came back into the room with two water bottles. 

“I’m sorry for not grabbing some earlier, the thought escaped me.” Nicole sat back down. “So, you know a little bit about me now. What about you?” Nicole took another bite, waiting for Waverly’s response.

“My job is not nearly as interesting as yours. I work at Shorty’s as a bartender in town and I’m a full time student. Thus, the pictures. I recently got into bartending and it’s not all that bad. Super easy job, but sometimes there are bad customers. As for school, it takes up most of my time. I love it, though. I’m in my second year for a degree in photography. That’s about it.” Waverly’s attention turned to her phone vibrating on the table. She decided not to check it since she didn’t want to be rude.

“Shorty’s, huh? I’ve only been once or twice, maybe before you started working there?” Nicole closed the takeout box and crossed her forearms on the table. “Maybe you could show me some of your work one day.” Nicole smiled and looked Waverly over.

“I might have not been there. To be honest, I don’t have a portfolio or anything yet. I’m still trying to find what I really want to focus on but--” Waverly paused and her mind flicked back to the picture of Nicole on the motorcycle. Although it wasn’t a picture that was completely intentional, it was her favorite right now. Was it Nicole or the whole shot? She’s still figuring that out. 

“I think I’d like to try exploring something I’m not familiar with.” Nicole raised her eyebrows and nodded.

“Well, if you need any help,” Nicole chuckled, “I’m not sure how much help I’d be, but I can if needed.” Nicole leaned back in her chair and crossed her hands behind her head.

“Who knows, maybe you could teach me something new.” The redhead shrugged her shoulders. “I’d like to think I’m a quick learner.” Waverly laughed.

“Okay. Only because you gave me a tiny lesson today. If that’s going to happen then you’re going to have to help with something else. My current project is street themed. I have pinned a few locations down, including your shop, but I need at least 3 other places.”

“Fair enough. I’ve got one in mind. Can I take the day to think of the others, boss?” Nicole joked and Waverly laughed. 

“Sure. I have to work soon, anyway.” Waverly rubbed her face with her hands. She didn’t feel like working, really. She was having a good time here, as odd as it was. 

“Sadly, I do have to get back to work.” Nicole sighed and leaned back forward onto the table. “Thank you for the food. I’ll have to repay the favor, if you’d let me.” Her left eyebrow quirked up and she tried to make sense of any of Waverly’s reactions. She’d spent so much time in her own head trying to figure out if she was staring too much or not, but it was impossible not to stare. Waverly’s beauty was too enticing for her to want to miss anything. Some parts of her feel like there’s something there with Waverly, but it could just be that she’s friendly. 

Waverly looked down at her hands, debating what the request meant. It would be the second time today Nicole had made the same suggestion. She got the chills. There was definitely something about Nicole that set her apart from others; the most defining part being the intensity of certain feelings she had while being around Nicole. She’d never checked out a woman but found herself appreciating Nicole’s features often, especially when she had caught her looking at all the engine parts. And, then again, some of the looks that Nicole gave her made her stomach sink, like the times she could see the adoration in Nicole’s face. It made her feel like a teenager again. Nervous and alive. Perhaps there wasn’t much to think about except that maybe she should stop disputing the fact that she’s of the same sex. It’s all so new and very different, in a good way. In the same respect, one day of getting to know each other isn’t much to work from. 

Waverly’s phone began to buzz on the table and out of habit she tilted the phone up to see who was calling then set it back down. _Wynonna._ As expected. 

“We will have to plan something,” Waverly said as she closed her takeout box and put both boxes back into the bag. They both got up and Waverly threw out the bag. Nicole held the door open for Waverly and they both walked towards the gates of the shop. Nicole bit the inside of her cheek. Uncertain of the right move to make. She didn’t want to come on too strong but then didn’t want to not say anything. Before she knew it, they were at Waverly’s truck and Waverly was facing her. The good-bye part was awkward the first time too and the funny thing was that it was written all over Waverly’s face. Do they shake hands? Or simply say their good-byes? Hell, it was tense.

“If you need to get ahold of me, my card has my personal phone. Feel free to call or text when you’re ready to plan something.” Nicole felt like an idiot, but Waverly smiled at her efforts. _Should’ve asked to exchange numbers._

Waverly opened the door to the F-150 and opened her backpack to retrieve paper and a pen. She wrote down her number, closed the door, and gave the paper to Nicole.

“In case you find some free time before I do.” Waverly smiled and looked down at her hands. It’s a nervous habit she’s been trying to break but is exceptionally hard to stop, especially in these situations. “I do have to go, but I’ll see you later, yeah?”

“Yeah. Yes. Thank you for the food and for stopping by.” Nicole’s heart was running a million miles an hour. Does she say it or not? She walked backwards up onto the curb while Waverly got into the truck. She could feel the words stuck in her throat but something held her back. Instead she waved as Waverly drove off. 

_When am I going to see you again?_

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Waverly got back to the Homestead and sat in the truck for a minute. She grabbed her phone and checked her text messages. It was Wynonna from earlier asking for ibuprofen. She grabbed her backpack and got out of the truck, preparing for the list of questions she was expecting to be bombarded with. When she entered the homestead, Wynonna was laying on the couch with her arms covering her face. That didn’t last long once the front door closed. Wynonna sprung into a sitting position.

“Whoa there, hot shot. First things first,” Wynonna got off of the couch and headed to the kitchen, half-way expecting her younger sister to follow. “Aspirin. Advil. Any kind of pain reliever.” Waverly put her backpack onto the table and sat in one of the chairs. 

“It’s in the cabinet Gus puts her meds. In the back.” Wynonna opened the cabinet and started pulling things out till she found what she needed. She opened the canister and took a couple then proceeded to shove everything back into the cabinet. Wynonna finally took a seat next to Waverly.

“You left the party early yesterday. I didn’t even get a chance to introduce you to people. Unless you met someone.” Wynonna looked at Waverly incredulously as scenarios began forming in her head. “Who is it? Do I know him?”

“I didn’t meet anybody.” Waverly sighed because of the lie. “I left because you went off as you usually do and I didn’t know anybody. I stayed and danced for a little bit but I still had some studying so I came home.”

“God. The imaginative Waverly in my head has more fun than you do. What happened to taking a day for yourself? Having fun?” Wynonna rested her head against her hand.

“I had fun dancing. I haven’t danced in a long time. And, for the record, we have different ideas of fun.” Waverly defended herself.

“You’re like a nun but, alright, you’re right. We are different. I’m still saying you should find something new. Think of it as a reward for how hard you work. You’ve got to give yourself incentives too, you know.” Wynonna threw her arm over Waverly’s shoulder and pulled her to her chest. “Ugh, I feel like shit.” Wynonna let go of Waverly and got up. Waverly thought about stopping her and sitting her back down to talk about Nicole and the shop. Or Nicole and the party. She still had to get ready for work so that conversation would have to wait. Plus, she hadn’t found a way to fabricate the words to make sense of everything yet.

“I’m going to get ready for work. Try putting a wet rag over your eyes and forehead. It should help a little bit with the headache.” Wynonna flopped back onto the couch and crossed her arms over her face again. Waverly sped up the stairs and pulled out her clothes to get ready for work. She removed everything from her pockets and saw Nicole’s card again. Involuntarily her bottom lip caught between her teeth. Waverly grabbed her phone and created Nicole’s contact then tucked the card into her wallet. Looking at the near future, she wasn’t sure when her and Nicole would have time to get together. Not unless she tells Wynonna. The thought bounced around in her head. She still didn’t know anything about Nicole, really. Maybe she’d tell Wynonna once she figured it all out. Figured Nicole out and how to be honest with herself about her own feelings. Waverly was sure she found Nicole attractive and could clearly distinguish the difference between how she felt about Nicole and by other boys that she had dated. 

Being around Nicole was absolutely nerve-wracking, in a good way. Waverly constantly wondered where to look, what to talk about, and what the boundaries were. She thought of asking Nicole about her “late night activities” but she wasn’t sure how the redhead would react. Waverly didn’t know much about street races but it’s not like the streets of Purgatory were bustling with activity. Plus, given Nicole’s explanation of the piston rings Waverly was looking at, she had concluded that her knowledge of the subject was broad and impressive. Nicole’s excitement to show and explain things to Waverly unveiled her passion for the subject which the youngest Earp found sexy. Waverly wouldn’t mind spending more time at the shop watching Nicole work while demonstrating how everything works. 

Waverly exhaled a breath that she didn’t know she was holding. The chance to ask Nicole wasn’t going anywhere but she wasn’t sure her curiosity would restrain her. Looks like telling Wynonna might come sooner.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

It’s almost been a week since Waverly last saw Nicole and oddly she hadn’t received any form of communication from her nor had she made the attempt to contact her. Waverly was very friendly but had a difficult time trying to find out how to start a conversation with Nicole. Especially since they had only hung out once. Had she not have to drive with Wynonna everywhere, she might of had a chance to stop at the shop. There was still an uncertainty surrounding whether or not to tell Wynonna. Wynonna hadn’t asked any more questions about the night to the party but had revealed that she had met someone that night. A certain person that she had been spending a significant amount of time with, from what she could tell. Wynonna started showing up late to pick Waverly up from work and dropping her off to go back. Not only did she have to worry about Wynonna and Gus, she had to worry about transportation. Waverly was used to letting Wynonna handle things and submitting to her, even at the cost of budding opportunities. 

Waverly was wiping down the counter at Shorty’s, overthinking the decision to text Nicole. She was over half-way through her shift and Sheriff Nedley wasn’t going to be in today because today was the first day of his vacation, according to Chrissy. Waverly hadn’t known whether or not Nicole had avoided Shorty’s because of the fact it was known in town that Nedley spent his after hours there but it was the one excuse she convinced herself of since Nicole hadn’t made the attempt to talk to her. It could be that she had gotten it all wrong; that she was being presumptuous of Nicole’s intentions. Waverly couldn’t wait anymore.

\- Hey, it’s Waverly.

She sent the text and almost automatically dreaded it. She had tried so hard to avoid reaching out but was honestly tired of waiting. Maybe it was time for her. Time to stop considering everyone else but herself. Of course, she didn’t mind helping others and being there, but maybe it was time to stop sacrificing her experiences for others. Her phone buzzed in her pocket and she reached for it involuntarily. Her heart sped up when opening the text.

\- Hey. Finally got some time?

Waverly smiled. Her nerves settled. She had sensed that there would be some animosity because of the fact that there wasn’t any contact in a while but everything was fine. She hadn’t screwed it up.

\- I do. Meet me at Shorty’s? I get off in an hour and a half.

Waverly didn’t have to wait longer than a minute to receive a response.

\- You’ve got it. I’ll be there soon.

Happiness rose in Waverly’s chest. The kind that couldn’t repress a smile and positive mood. She planned on calling Wynonna but had a line of customers waiting for drinks. Waverly served and entertained the regulars of the bar, trying to catch up on the regular Friday night rush. Her coworker was supposed to come in right about now to take over her shift but there hadn’t been any word of them yet. Waverly kept up a conversation with a popular regular when she saw some hands go up at the opposite corner of the bar. She maintained conversation with the regular until about halfway to the other side of the bar when she pulled glasses off the counter to put to clean. Waverly took the order of another male customer, concentrating on getting the drinks done in an orderly fashion so the line of customers wouldn’t keep building. She put the drinks on the counter and turned to put the drinks on the customers tab while preparing glasses for the next customer.

“What can I get you?” Waverly asked, cleaning the workstation where there was spilled beer.

“One Maker’s on the rocks and two shots, please.” Waverly looked up as soon as she recognized the voice. Nicole’s fair skin tinged with red from the winter air, the corner of her mouth tipped up in a smile. Eyes direct and unwavering.

“Shots of whatever you’d prefer. It’s on me.” Waverly stood stupefied by how quick she had arrived. Speechless because she hadn’t ever seen Nicole out of work clothes where she could actually see her form. How unprepared she had felt, not even having time to freshen up. 

“I--yeah.” She grabbed two shot glasses and poured Maker’s Mark into both. She handed the shot to Nicole, brushing her fingers during the exchange. Goosebumps rose in the wake of Nicole’s touch, making Waverly shiver. Something she would later blame on the breeze from the outdoors. Nicole lifted her shot to make a toast.

“To having the privilege of seeing you again.” They knocked back the shots and Waverly collected both glasses. She went back to pour Nicole’s order and handed it to her. 

“Find a spot at the bar, I’ll be there in a minute.” Nicole took her drink and found an empty set of bar stools at the southeast end of the bar. She diverted her attention from Waverly to look around the bar. It was a busy night with a decently calm crowd. Nicole saw another bartender enter from behind the counter and started serving drinks. Soon the line diminished to zero, with both Waverly and her coworker having to assist the last few others. Waverly looked over to Nicole and smiled, making her way to meet her. 

“You’re here a little early.” Waverly said with a big smile. “You look--” she took in a deep breath and looked Nicole up and down. “Different.” 

“A good or bad kind of different?” Nicole was looking at her whiskey then brought the glass to her lips. Waverly fiddled with her hands as her smile slowly grew bigger and bigger.

“An interesting kind.” Nicole laughed and nodded.

“I’ll take it. Got any plans tonight?” Waverly pushed away the jitteriness permeating her body.

“I’m free after work, which,” Waverly pulled her phone from her pocket to check the time, “is forty minutes away. If you’re willing to wait. I didn’t really plan--sort out anything.” Waverly’s nervousness took over her body again. “I just--I know I wanted to see you again.” Waverly clenched her jaw and gave an earnest smile in fear that her anxiousness was causing her to tremble. The taller woman felt pressure in her chest from the unexpected admission.

“I’ve been wanting to see you too.” Nicole could feel the heat in her face. “Would you like to go on a drive with me?”

“I would, yes.” Waverly was sure she that her façade of being in repose was fading. “Let me finish up here and I’ll meet you right here.” Nicole nodded and Waverly went off to tend to customers. Nicole watched her walk away and made sure to etch it into her memory. _Goddamn, she’s gorgeous._ She knew exactly where they would go.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Waverly had called Wynonna and told her that she didn’t need to be picked up and her older sister was quick to oblige. She changed out and clocked out. Nicole was waiting exactly where she had left her. 

“You ready?” Nicole turned in her seat and grabbed the keys from her jacket pocket. 

“Let’s head out.” Nicole raised her hand towards the exit, letting Waverly go first. When they got outside, Waverly looked back to Nicole who was gesturing further up the street. Nicole finally got to an older, two tone car. The shorter girl didn’t know what kind of car it was, but was sure she had seen it before. Nicole opened the door and closed it behind Waverly, then joined Waverly. Nicole turned the car on and turned on the heater. Waverly felt like she was going back in time. The leather upholstery was in pristine condition, with the paneling, chrome, and elements inside being original. _What about the motorcycle?_

“Your car is breathtaking. How long have you had it?” Waverly looked for the seatbelt over her right shoulder. Nicole did a double take, eventually making sense of what Waverly was doing.

“There aren’t any seat belts, the original owner took them out.” Nicole said almost apologetically. “This car was built in 1957, before the enforcement of seat belts, so we are safe. I’ve had it for four years. I got it off someone in town that needed it gone. Thankfully they had stored it pretty well so I didn’t have to do a lot of restorations. It was a lucky find. I don’t drive it much because parts are a pain to find. Only for special occasions.” Waverly was glad that there wasn’t much lighting in the car because for a swift moment she let her giddiness take up physical space. 

“Last I remember, I saw you on a motorcycle. I can’t imagine you drive that throughout the seasons here.” Waverly pried, trying to get closer to asking the harder questions.

“No, definitely not. The motorcycle is more for the summertime. But, I still have to run it every now and again. I just make sure the weather permits it. I’m working on one of the cars I use pretty regularly, but it needs a lot of work and won’t run. The other car I use is the shop truck. I’m the main road technician so the boss generally tells me to keep it overnight because there are late night emergencies.” Waverly nodded. _Maybe that is the street racing car?_

“Where are we headed?”

“It’s a surprise.” Nicole pushed the clutch in and shifted into gear to take off. “Unless you have somewhere in mind?”

“No, not at all.” Waverly watched Nicole switch gears smoothly, without delay. She had never learned how to drive stick but Nicole made it look so easy. Waverly relaxed against the leather and sank into the seat. It felt like the car was made for user comfortability. She stared out of the window recognizing a certain pathway that Nicole had taken. They were going away from Purgatory and onto slightly increasing sloped road with nothing but trees. It looked like the same place that Wynonna had taken her for the aerial pictures of Purgatory. _Am I the only person that didn’t know about this place?_

Sure enough, Nicole pulled off to the side of the road and parked. Any further ahead and there would be no traction for the car’s tires. Nicole reached behind her to the bench seat in the back and pulled up some tan blankets. 

“I meant to bring you here during the day because of that project you were talking about but the scenery is stunning day or night. I think I have enough engine blankets, c’mon.” Nicole and Waverly got out of the car and carefully made their way up the rest of the incline. Nicole was right. It was dark but the lights of the city in addition to how bright the stars looked out here was definitely just as breathtaking. 

“It’s beautiful.” Waverly surveyed the stars and moon. Nicole stared at the shorter girl’s expression and couldn’t believe that they were here together. Nicole set the engine blankets down on the dewy grass, thankfully having extras for Waverly.

“Wanna sit?” Nicole sat down on the blankets and Waverly accompanied. “I don’t know how cold you’d be, so I have these.” Nicole handed the blankets over.

“Thank you.” They sat in silence for a little, enjoying the view. Nicole laid back onto the blankets with her hands behind her head. There were a lot more stars out tonight than she’d seen previous. Most likely because there was a gap in the snowfall. In a couple of days the chance to see this kind of view would be gone. Nicole looked at Waverly from her peripherals. Her arms were wrapped around her shins tight with her knees against her chest. She still seemed awe-struck by view.

“Remember how you said you had a story best said for later?” Waverly looked over to Nicole, mid-sentence.

“I do. I guess it’s a better time than any.” Nicole got comfortable and focused on star patterns.

“When I was young, my dad used to restore and repair old cars, like the one I drove here. 1957 Chevy Bel Air. It was one of his favourites. My dad always took me to classic car shows and would show me how to tune cars until I was able to do it myself. He was a short haul truck driver, so my learning time was whatever time he got home and then it became like a job. Once I got into high school I started looking for jobs and small shops and although I had no experience with big trucks, I was hired on as an apprentice. The good thing was that I had learned the theory behind how everything functioned with my dad, but the theory of diesel engines was slightly different. Honestly, the hardest part was gaining the muscle to lift the things I do everyday. It took a long time for me to learn how to use my body advantageously so that I wouldn’t hurt myself. The apprentice job was part-time and didn’t pay much, like $9 and hour. So, I started working on cars as another side job. Repairs and eventually learning how to tune cars for a certain audience.” Nicole sighed. She wasn’t excited about the response she might receive about her hobbies but it was pretty much common knowledge.

“With the tuning jobs I made more money, but at the cost of getting in trouble with law enforcement. Honestly, it was fun, not the trouble part but you get what I mean. The first time I was invited to sit in on a race was crazy. I went from changing the parts on these cars to finally seeing the actual performance value and it blew my mind. I definitely didn’t think I would get into it but it’s a hobby now. Much like restoring cars and working on trucks. That car that I told you I’m working on? It needs a new cylinder head, but essentially it broke down during one of those races. It sucks, but it happens. It’s also a pretty expensive fix considered I dropped a valve and it went through the turbo, so I’ve been hesitant about fixing it. Might actually do me some good to keep away for awhile.” Nicole finally finished and shifted a bit, waiting for a response from Waverly. 

“Do you think you could show me one day?” Waverly asked, looking at Nicole get comfortable.

“The car or a race?” The pressure Nicole felt eased and her interest piqued. 

“Well, both.” Waverly turned back to admire the sky. “I’d like to see what your world looks like.” A warmth spread through Nicole’s chest. Grateful for Waverly’s response, she decided to take another risk.

“Can I ask you a question?” Waverly’s head turned back to Nicole and she released the hold on her legs, stretching them out while planting her arm behind her to support her weight. A light panic pulsed through her, always unsure of what might be asked.

“Mhm.” She nodded.

“Why didn’t you text me sooner?” Waverly sifted through the excuses she decided to wait and not one of them held water. There wasn’t an excuse, she was just scared. Seeing Nicole more often meant having to come to terms with her feelings for the taller woman. It would solidify her feelings but she still had so many questions. Many of which she had planned to ask tonight, given the chance. Today she had told herself that it was time to break the habit of appealing to others without being conscious of herself. She was doing well so far, but damn was it hard.

“I was scared.” She blurted out. “Kinda, sorta still am.” Nicole looked at her with concern, pulling herself up to a sitting position to better communicate. 

“What are you scared of?” Nicole followed Waverly’s gaze as it dipped down.

“You.” Nicole’s worry amplified, going back in her memory to see if she had made any unwanted advances.

“I’m sorry if I’ve ever done anyth-”

“No, you haven’t done anything. You’ve been nothing short of amazing. I,” Waverly winced her vision settling on Nicole’s mouth, then back up to her eyes. “You’re scary because, well, I like you. And I’ve never done this before. You’re making me question parts of me that have always been in the background and now you’re here and you’re great.” A small smile formed on Nicole’s lips from speed of which Waverly was speaking.

“I like you too.” Nicole moved slightly so she was making eye contact with Waverly. “And it’s not a race, okay? I know you said you’ve never done this before and there is a lot to figure out, but if you ever have any questions I’ll try my best to answer. All I’m asking is for some time with you. Everything else can come later, whenever you’re ready. No expectations.” 

Waverly took a deep breath and laid down. “Can we raincheck the serious talk?” Nicole laughed at how forthcoming she was. Nicole laid back down onto her side, using her elbow and forearm to hold herself up so she could keep eye contact.

“Yes, of course. The hardest part is over. Thank you for being honest with me.” Nicole flopped back to the ground, the sky once again captivating her. Waverly pulled one of the blankets over her and handed one to Nicole. 

“Thank you.” Nicole covered what she could. They both laid silently together, expressing intrigue when a comet would pass or certain constellations were prominent. Waverly’s heart sped in her chest. _Was it always going to be like this?_ Nicole makes her more nervous than she’s ever been, especially when she wants to say or do something. She’d definitely have to push herself to be more bold if she planned on pursuing her. _It’s not a big deal._ Emboldened by her own inner pep talk, Waverly slipped her hand over Nicole’s.

“Is this okay?” Her face flushed with pink as she turned to Nicole.

“It’s more than okay.” Nicole smiled and slipped her fingers in between Waverly’s. She didn’t know how things with Waverly were going to play out but for the first time in a long time, she was ready to try.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Piston and Connecting Rod:
> 
> https://photos.app.goo.gl/hRZV5WYc4VjzvhXg7
> 
> Liner and piston breakdown:
> 
> https://photos.app.goo.gl/HbHqt3ncpQHswgv56
> 
> Turbo and exhaust manifold breakdown:
> 
> https://photos.app.goo.gl/XLLrMtqJ1ZtKs45p6
> 
> Cylinder head and Engine block breakdown:  
>    
> https://photos.app.goo.gl/RmTxMWfpdbYbV4BW6


	3. How Close is Too Close?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things with Waverly and Nicole move forward and Waverly becomes more involved with Nicole's hobbies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, readers! I’m sorry for the long space in between this update and the last. School and work has been kicking my ass more than I had originally thought so I’m not going to be able to keep up with the previous update rate I’d hoped for. I had a lot of trouble with this chapter and kept scrapping it so I hope it’s not too bad. If there are any suggestions, please let me know. Thank you all for reading, commenting, subscribing, etc. All your responses are humbling.

The last couple of weeks have been uncompromisingly happy. Waverly hadn’t had this much fun in ages. Every moment with Nicole was unadulterated fun mixed with newly discovered feelings. Being with Nicole felt like butterflies that hardly ceased, being impervious, and with tension, often times, so thick that Waverly felt she might burst. Nicole wasn’t shy to grab Waverly’s hand but was always sure to ask if she was okay. Waverly appreciated the caution but was finding that she wanted more. There were times where the space between them was insufferable and if Waverly wasn’t nervous and avoiding eye contact, she was breathing Nicole in and appreciating how beautiful and stunning she was. Not just for her impressive exterior, but for her brain and how passionate she was about certain things. It was definitely a turn on. 

That aspect of Waverly’s life had always felt like dangerous territory. The youngest Earp didn’t have an ample amount of healthy relationships and some experiences that still haunt her, she preferred not to remember. Those memories put a damper on how far Waverly was willing to go with her previous partners and though she is scared, Nicole makes her feel safe. For the first time, Waverly feels in control of how fast things progress and isn’t scared to say if she’s not okay with something. There’s no retaliation with Nicole, no down-talking, guilt tripping, or convincing. Waverly can be herself and come to terms with things in her own time. She does worry that Nicole might get tired of or lose her patience and leave, but her reassurance lies in when she spends time with Nicole

Thoughts of Nicole consistently flooded her head while she went through her project pictures. There were less than three days to complete it and, as promised, Nicole had taken her to ideal locations for the remaining shots. She stopped on one of the pictures of Nicole, unbeknownst of her growing smile. It was a series of three. Nicole was waiting for Waverly to finish and was instead looking the opposite way from Waverly. Waverly took advantage of the change and photographed her. It was a full length shot but she only got her back. She remembers calling her name to get her to turn around and the next two pictures showed a smiling Nicole, beginning to turn round and then a hand raising up to block the shot. Waverly wasn’t able to get many pictures of her but cherished the few that she was able to get. One of her driving, one of her laying down with her eyes closed, the first ones she took, and these ones. Out of all the pictures she had taken for this project, they were her favorite. She spent a lot of time, perhaps too much time, going over the same photographs of her. 

Aside from the amount of time Waverly was able to see Nicole, she was beginning to feel guilty for not telling Wynonna. Luckily for Waverly, Wynonna was too caught up partying to realize that her younger sister is hardly around. She was still looking for the right time to tell her but was starting to realize that even with the free time she had set aside to tell her, she wasn’t ready and that she’d probably never be ready. She hadn’t spoken to anybody about it and sometimes she wished she had Wynonna to listen to all the things she wanted to say about Nicole. About how she felt and to get advice. Part of Waverly wanted to break free, as free as she felt when she was with Nicole. 

Waverly shut her laptop and laid down. She sighed. She didn’t want to keep hiding and she said she would tell Wynonna when she felt she was sure about her feelings for Nicole. Alas, Wynonna isn’t even home and although for the moment it feels like a relief, she knew the sooner she told her, the better. If she was going to commit to telling Wynonna tonight, that means she would have to cancel her late night plans with Nicole. That’s if Wynonna comes home early enough and isn’t plastered. Nicole had been taking her home after work. Those hours of the night Waverly had begun reserving for the redhead since she had more going on at school now. It was their time and Waverly looked forward to it everyday. Sometimes Nicole would come in an hour or so early just to flirt with Waverly and have a drink before taking her out. Every night felt like a different adventure with Nicole and she was slowly starting to crave that time. Counting down the minutes till she would be able to see her again. To be close to her. To hold her hand. _Goddamn it._ Waverly got up off of the bed and changed into her work uniform. Maybe she would hold off telling Wynonna for just one more day.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Waverly rushed around the bar filling orders on another busy Friday night. Friday’s were nice because the night passed quickly. It was easy to lose track of time but if she was able to see Nicole, she knew she had at least one to two hours left on the timeclock. Then, there she was. Same corner she always sat in, waiting patiently for Waverly. God, she looked good. She was wearing a light grey button down layered with a black hoodie and a black Levi’s denim sherpa jacket. Her hair was pulled back into a bun revealing her perfect features. God, she could stare at her forever. Waverly finished serving one of the regulars and poured Nicole’s usual. 

“Good evening, Ms. Haught.” Waverly grabbed a napkin and set Nicole’s drink down.

“Evening. Thank you.” Nicole lifted her drink in a “cheers” motion and took a sip. Nicole crossed her arms on the table and smiled at Waverly.

“So, what’s on the agenda for tonight?” Waverly wiped down the counter adjacent to her. 

“It’s a surprise.” Nicole smirked and took another sip. “I was wondering how comfortable you are about coming over to my place. You don’t have to say, ‘yes,’ we can always go somewhere else, but I still have to stop by the house, if that’s okay.” Nicole absentmindedly consumed the remaining fluid in the glass. 

“I, uh--” The corners of her lips raised, unable to stop smiling from how cute Nicole was with her. They’ve been alone everywhere they go so this wouldn’t be any different, but it was Nicole’s _house._ Waverly hadn’t invited Nicole to the homestead for obvious reasons, but hadn’t really expected her to invite her round. She supposes Nicole was right, it was a surprise! Would it be the next level of their budding relationship? She would for sure have to commit to telling Wynonna and possibly Gus. A bigger part of Waverly was tired of hiding Nicole. She wanted to show everyone to Nicole; to share how Nicole makes her feel and all the things that she does for her. Nicole was dreamy. The kind of dreamy that makes Waverly’s head spin. The cherry on top was how Nicole treated her. The amount of respect was beyond belief. _Why shouldn’t I say, ‘yes?’_

“Yes. Of course, yes.” Waverly let out a breath as she stopped wiping the table to reassure Nicole. Nicole made a certain face when Waverly would agree to something that she had been courageous enough to ask. One that pulled happiness and relief to the surface. It was times like these that Waverly thought of kissing her. God, how she wished she could just grab Nicole by the collar and meet her lips. 

“Can I be honest with--” Waverly was cut off by an impatient patron. “I’m sorry, give me a second.” Waverly took the impatient man’s order and served his drink while making sure to keep on top of any upcoming orders. She made sure to keep Nicole in her peripherals. 

By the time Waverly made it back to pour Nicole another drink, the previous conversation had left her and there wasn’t enough time for her to stick around and chat. The good thing was that the time was passing quickly. The bad thing was that her coworker was late again so she got stuck running back and forth trying to fill orders. Waverly looked over to Nicole and mouthed “sorry.” Nicole smiled and waved her hand. Nicole couldn’t complain. She enjoyed being around Waverly and also, guiltily, checked her out most of the night. She knew Waverly had to have known since she had caught her two or three times. 

Waverly didn’t end up making it back to Nicole for an extended period of time due to how busy it was. While she changed to leave she began to develop a sense of twitchiness from the thought of going to Nicole’s house. It was in part her anxiety, but also a thrilling sensation that would make her heartbeat accelerate. Nicole always made her feel this way. It was challenging to execute any of her intricately made plans with how immensely suffocating her own body’s responses were. Today would mark day three of her promising attempts to kiss Nicole. Of course, it always seems a lot easier when she’s planning everything but she always cracks from the amount of tension between them. Plus, she had a hard time getting out of her comfort zone to physically pursue Nicole. _Was it too soon to kiss Nicole?_ Waverly sighed and rubbed her face. Only one way to find out.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

The car ride to Nicole’s was quick. Nicole got out of the car and went to the passenger side to open the door for Waverly. She closed the door behind Waverly and offered a hand for her to grab. Waverly steadfastly put her hand in hers and followed the taller woman to the front door. Once inside, Waverly could see a dull light from a flame, flickering on the walls before Nicole flipped the lightswitch. Nicole turned back and smiled at Waverly.

“I’m sorry ahead of time. I’m going to have to reheat the food. C’mon, the kitchen is this way.” 

“Now, you can’t make fun of me.” Nicole looked back to Waverly with a goofy smile. Nicole and Waverly both removed their heavy winter jackets and laid them on the back of the couch. “I don’t cook a lot and some of this stuff I had never cooked before. But,” Nicole washed her hands and removed the tupperware lids. “I can assure you that it won’t be that bad.” Intrigued, Waverly leaned against the wall of the entrance to the kitchen.

“I believe you. I’m surprised you had enough time to cook.” Waverly tried to catch a peek from Nicole’s left or right side. 

“Well, thanks to the last couple of days, I’ve had a lot of trial and error.” Nicole chuckled. “Luckily enough for me, I had a team of taste testers at work. So, if it is bad, you can blame all of us.” Waverly laughed.

“How does that work?” Nicole turned back with a big smile and shrugged her shoulders.

“‘Cause we’re a team. If one of us fails, we all do. They all contributed with their opinions.” Waverly laughed and made her way over to Nicole to finally get a good look at what was being prepared. _Ooooh._

“Vegan food is really growing on you, huh?” Nicole nodded and smiled. It definitely wasn’t convincing but it was cute to see her trying new foods because of Waverly. “Can I help?”

“What? No! I’m making food for you, remember? Plus, it’s not going to be long, I’m just going to reheat everything on the stove and heat up the tortillas.” Nicole pulled pans from the bottom cupboards and oiled the pans. “Just relax. Make yourself at home. The remote for the TV should be on the couch, if you want to pick something to watch.” Waverly stepped back and walked into the living room. 

“There’s also some beer and whiskey in the fridge!” Nicole called out. Waverly was already onto her second bookshelf when she made a turn to the fridge. Waverly pulled a beer out to read the label.

“Oh, the beer is vegan. I made sure.” Nicole looked triumphant. _How fucking adorable she is._

“Want one?” Waverly raised the bottom of the bottle in her direction. 

“Yes, please.” Waverly popped off the bottle caps and left Nicole’s beer at her side. She felt a little weird, it being her first time here. She wasn’t sure what to do, if she should sit down or walk around or watch TV. She resorted to walking around, since Nicole kept shooing her from the kitchen. Nicole was a minimalist, from what Waverly could tell. She didn’t have a lot of things and everything was super tidy. Another thing was that Nicole didn’t have pictures up. Not one in the whole living room from what she could tell. Her mind went back to the pictures in her camera; Nicole would probably like some of the pictures she has of her. 

Waverly sighed. She stood at the back of Nicole’s couch, looking at Nicole’s TV set-up. Below her TV she had shelves with different consoles, controllers, and games. _Would’ve never guessed she’s a nerd._

“I didn’t know you liked video games.” Waverly said as she tried to read the titles from the couch. 

“Yeah,” Nicole sounded embarrassed. “I used to play a lot when I was a kid. It’s more of a pastime.” Nicole started heating up the tortillas on the pan and shutting off the burners for the remainder of the food. “I’m almost done here, when you’re ready.”

Waverly spun back to the kitchen and leaned back against the wall again. She watched as Nicole plated the food and pulled out guacamole from the fridge. 

“Alright, it’s ready.” She set the table and pulled a chair for Waverly to sit. 

“Such a gentleman.” Waverly sat down and Nicole went to get her beer before sitting down across from her. 

“I know it looks like a lot but it’s just asparagus, shiitake mushrooms, guacamole, and cilantro inside. No other surprises. And there’s lime right here too.” Nicole picked up the bowl with lime wedges. 

“You’re freaking out, huh?” Waverly giggled. 

“Just a little bit.” Nicole took a swig of her beer. “If you don’t like it, we can go pick something else up.” Waverly reached across the table and put her hand over Nicole’s. 

“I’m sure it’s going to be fine. It looks great. Thank you for cooking for me.” Waverly squeezed her hand lightly, watching as a blush rose up Nicole’s neck. A part of Waverly revelled in the fact she could make her blush. Waverly felt like she was always the inexperienced and embarrassed one. Surely Nicole has witnessed almost all of the instances of her nervousness. She hopes that that never fades. 

“Of course.” The left corner of Nicole’s lips shifted up to smile. They separated and took their first bites of their food. 

“Not bad.” Waverly took another bite, impressed with the result. Nothing was overcooked and all the flavors compliment one another. Seems like Nicole was down playing her cooking a little bit. 

“I’m glad you decided to come over.” Nicole leaned back into her chair, beer in hand. “I wanted to show you something.”

“Another surprise?” Waverly asked curiously. “More food?” Nicole laughed. 

“Unfortunately, no. There is extra food, though. If you’re still hungry.” Nicole finished the rest of her beer and got up to get two more. She opened them both and put one on the table next to Waverly before sitting back down. 

“So, do I get a hint?” Waverly finished off her food and wiped her hands. 

“How ‘bout I show you instead?” Waverly tilted her head and her eyebrows scrunched up. “It’s nothing weird, I swear.” Nicole stood up and stretched. Nicole grabbed the plates and emptied the contents into the trash before rinsing the plates and pans. Waverly put the beer bottles on the counter next to the sink.

“Do you recycle?” 

“Yeah, we are on our way that way anyway. Just leave them there, I’ve got them.” Nicole opened the dishwasher and put the dishes and pans. “All right.” She washed her hands one more time and dried them on a kitchen towel. “Ready?” Nicole grabbed a set of keys off a keyholder on the wall. “You’re going to want to get your jacket.” Nicole went over to the bookcase by the front door and removed a flashlight from a charging dock.

“Where are we going?” Waverly asked as she zipped up her jacket. Nicole flipped a lightswitch next to the TV and reached her hand out to Waverly. Waverly slipped her hand in hers and intertwined their fingers. 

“To the garage.” Nicole arched an eyebrow and smiled. She opened the rear door and turned the flashlight on. Aside from the back porch light, there wasn’t much light at all. Just patches of snow and dirt. If it weren’t for the flashlight, Waverly never would’ve seen the garage. 

“When I got the house, it didn’t come with a garage. You know these old houses. Since I like to work on my own stuff, some of the guys and I made up the plans and built it.” Nicole weaved out of the way of a pothole, keeping the light within Waverly’s range of sight so she wouldn’t trip. “If you’re wondering why we built it this far from the house, it’s because I was expecting noise complaints. And, boy, did these neighbors deliver. So, I can’t run the air compressor at night and try not to work passed eight or nine.” Nicole pulled the keys from her pocket and unlocked the door. She pushed the door open and walked straight towards the back of the garage to the electric panel and switched on some marked control switches. The lights came on and she shut off her flashlight. 

“This is it. It’s not that big, but it’s all mine.” Nicole looked proud. She closed the door and went over to the right side of the garage where a car was stationary under a cover. Nicole reached under the car and pulled up the cover to reveal a black car. She threw the cover over the top of the car and put her hand on the A-pillar. “This is my baby.” Waverly walked over to the car and peered inside the passenger side of the car. There were metal bars shooting up from the floorboards to the headliner, front to back. 

“What are these for?” Waverly grabbed onto one of the metal bars. A big grin spread across Nicole’s face, overexcited to explain the construction of the car.

“These metal bars are welded together to form something called a roll cage. If there’s a time where I were to roll this car while driving, the roll cage protects me from the damage that would occur in a crash without one. After seeing a lot of people lose control when driving at high speeds, I figured it would be best to make one and install it. Just for safety.” Nicole winked. “What is cool about it is that when I originally drew up the plans for this car, I had the actual specifications for the factory built GT-40 right beside me. It’s not an exact replica, but I’ve gotten it pretty darn close.” Waverly was confused but she was happy that Nicole was excited like a kid in a candy factory. 

“So, then you built the whole car from scratch then?” Waverly looked at the engine bay and it was empty, just like the truck Nicole was working on. Nothing but harnesses and lines. 

“Yes, it’s my greatest feat. I built the frame with 1.5 by 1.5 inch steel square tubing then built the body with aluminum. From there I custom made the differential housing and some of the suspension. Then after that, it was just buying brakes, rotors, a transmission, engine, upholstery, and everything else. Once all that was done, I welded in the roll cage. Then I had to sand down everything down and get it ready for paint and whatever small things needed to be adjusted to make it functional.” 

“Wow. How long did it take you to finish?” Waverly walked over to the front of the car and found a stand with a cover on top. Nicole pulled the cover off halfway to satisfy her curiosity.

“It’s been a lifelong project. I started trying to build it when I was fifteen, a little bit after I started my apprenticeship as a diesel mechanic. So, eleven years, almost twelve. I’ve had a lot of growing pains in building it.” Waverly looked at the engine block. Physically much smaller than the one at Nicole’s workplace. It’s almost cute. Nicole checked her watch and pulled her flashlight out.

“C’mere.” Nicole grabbed Waverly’s hand and led her back to some rolling racks with dirty rags and engine blankets. Nicole looked under some of the blankets until she found what she wanted to show Waverly. She pulled back the engine blanket to show the parts that were relative to the ones Waverly always looks at when she goes to the shop. Waverly’s eyes got big. They were so much smaller. Like toys.

“These are so small! Like, my size!” Nicole laughed as Waverly stood on her tiptoes to examine all the parts.

“You could lift the other ones too. But, yes. These are much lighter.”

“You never told me how fast it goes.” Waverly rested back onto her heels and looked at Nicole. Nicole covered the parts and walked back to the car and engine to cover them too.

“I’ve never got it to top speed but I’ve got it to 170.” Nicole grinned. 

“I don’t think I’ve even gone over sixty-five.” The speed limits in town were pretty low everywhere. Unless someone was on the interstate in or out of town, speed limits were generally capped out at 35-40 mph. Waverly caught Nicole looking at her. It was becoming a common thing. Waverly wasn’t at all disappointed. She lived for the way Nicole looked at her. It was always like the first time they made eye contact at Mercedes’ party. Nicole always looked at Waverly with an immeasurable fondness that it strikes her by surprise. Perhaps it was all in her head. Nicole’s eyes were soft and nearly half-lidded, jaw dropped enough for her mouth to be ajar, and her hands were generally supported by a stationary object. She wondered if that’s how she looked when she could catch herself staring at Nicole. If she could just grow the courage to make the move.

“Do you want to?” Nicole hesitated before walking back to Waverly. The thought had never crossed Waverly’s mind, if she were to be honest. She knew that she wanted to do everything with Nicole. A different, more adventurous path than what her safe, predictive paths had led. Nicole was nothing short of daring in comparison to Waverly’s somewhat “simple” life. It was one of the things that Waverly loved about Nicole. She could sense the worry Nicole felt when talking about this particular subject and couldn’t find a reason to fret. She wanted to feel what Nicole feels, see what she sees. Being able to see Nicole in her element, wherever she might be. The shop. The garage. The kitchen. _Even if she’s talked herself into being bad at cooking._ Seeing how Nicole talked about her car was an otherworldly feeling. Some parts Waverly didn’t understand, but the sheer bliss in Nicole’s eyes when explaining every bit of the process was endearing. It’s what she felt for photography, in a way. Though, she’d be lying if she didn’t have an increasing interest in Nicole’s job. Maybe it was having Nicole to explain it to her that made it more interesting. Especially when she was in her coveralls with smears of black running along her arms and face. _Ugh._ The image gave her the chills.

“I’ve always wondered what it feels like to go that fast.” Waverly unconsciously gravitating closer to Nicole. This was the hardest part. Nicole had already gotten somewhat comfortable with asking for Waverly’s hand and Waverly was still struggling with making a move. Regardless of how many times she had gone to grab her hand first, the overwhelming nervousness was there. She was still learning to let go. To relieve herself of the repercussions that she might not be able to reciprocate. She tried not to think about it but it was always there, poking at her. Nicole hadn’t given her a reason to be worried, which she was eternally grateful for. It was embarrassing. Being her age and not having the same experiences as other people her age, or Nicole’s age. Waverly shook the thought from her mind.

“Wanna try it tonight?” Waverly’s attention drew straight to Nicole. Startled by how unexpected the request was. The thought of the suggestion was scary but Waverly did want to do everything with Nicole, even if it was just to watch. Nicole hadn’t talked a lot about her meet-ups and since they had been practically seeing each other everyday, it was accurate to assume she hadn’t been going. Waverly didn’t want Nicole to stop doing things she liked to do just because she knew the younger woman stayed within her comfort zone. Waverly did still worry, but her time with Nicole was making her more daring and less of a worrywart. Sure the consequences linger in her mind when making decisions but she knew Nicole wouldn’t put her in danger or make her do something she didn’t want to do. 

Waverly got within inches of Nicole, her mind first thinking to put her arms around the redhead’s waist but her eyes fixed on something else. The smaller woman’s hands came up and fixed Nicole’s collar. “Are you trying to swoon me with one of your races?” Nicole froze, still caught at the feeling of Waverly’s fingers brushing against her neck while Waverly’s hands slipped down her shoulders and arms to interlace her fingers with hers. This was the most intimate she’d ever been with Nicole; possibly the most brave she had been. She hoped that Nicole couldn’t see her freaking out because she already knew there had to be a trace of a blush on her skin.

“I-” Nicole gathered herself. “I don’t know.” She brushed her thumbs against Waverly’s hands as a way to exert the nervous energy she had. “Is it working?” Nicole smirked. “If it is, then yes.” Giddiness rose up in Waverly’s chest only to be expelled in the formation of goosebumps. She wanted to kiss that smirk right off her face but it was hard enough getting the confidence to touch Nicole.

“It is working.” Waverly said with a big smile. “When do we need to go?” She asked, swinging their hands side to side; glancing between Nicole’s mouth and eyes. 

“When you want to. There are some people I’d really like you to meet.” She said sincerely. Nicole brought their linked hands around her neck where she disentangled her fingers from Waverly’s. It was an endearment that was unconsciously done but there wasn’t a negative reaction. She could feel Waverly’s fingers wander up and down while catching lingering hairs betwixt her fingers. Maybe this was too far, but she couldn’t help herself. Nicole was reeling. Her hands found purchase on Waverly’s foremans, watching Waverly’s head descend with eyes closed and parted lips. With her mind clouded in lust, she dipped her head down and pressed her forehead against Waverly’s. _What are you doing to me?_

“We should get going.” Waverly’s eyebrows knit together, defeated. Nicole took a deep breath and loosened up. She reached up to weave their hands together.

“Okay. Let’s go.” Nicole let go of one of Waverly’s hands and led her out of the garage and back into the house.

“I’m just going to clean up a little bit.” Nicole was embarrassed and the fact that Waverly hadn’t really said anything didn’t help her already guilty conscience. She made quick work of the food on the counters and made sure to lock the back door. 

“Are you cold at all?” Nicole looked over to a disant Waverly.

“I’m okay. I remembered to bring an extra thermal.” Nicole smiled.

“All right. I’m going to grab something and then we can get out of here.” Waverly nodded. Nicole ran up the stairs and pulled a blanket out of the linen closet. She knew that Waverly would be cold where they were going. She always was.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

The ride had been silent for the last fifteen minutes. Waverly could still feel the warmth of Nicole’s skin and the built-up pressure in her core. She was frantic at the thought that Nicole was finally going to kiss her but still found herself scared. There was such an overwhelming feeling of anxiety that Waverly cut the encounter short. She didn’t realize how hard it was going to be to let things just happen. If anything, she would just have to do it herself. Waverly reached for Nicole’s hand that was on the bench seat. Nicole smiled and kept her attention on the roadway.

“Thank you for dinner tonight.” Waverly lightly squeezed her hand.

“No problem. Thank you for coming over. I’m glad you liked the food.” A turn in the road caught Waverly’s eye. 

“Are we going to--” Waverly began to ask.

“The overlook? Yeah.” Nicole slides the blanket over to an already cold Waverly. “It’s the safest place.” Waverly threw the blanket over her legs and reached for Nicole’s hand again.

“Are any of the guys from the shop going to be there?” 

“Only Chetri, our parts guy. You haven’t met the other people that are going to be there. Most of the people you’re going to meet today are people I’ve met through working on their projects.”

Another twenty minutes later, Waverly spots various lights in the distance. The closer they got, the finer the details of the cars became. A couple of cars had their hoods up and more than twenty people were hanging out, beers in hand. Before Nicole could find somewhere to park, a couple of guys flagged her down to park between two other cars. 

“You remember Chetri? That’s Dolls next to him.” Nicole parked and looked to Waverly. “Need another jacket? You can take mine.” Waverly shook her head. She’s finally going to meet the infamous Dolls.

“No, thank you.” Nicole got out of the car and opened the door for Waverly. Waverly had instantly wished she had brought the blanket with her or some long johns. They walked hand in hand to meet the two men until Nicole let her hand go to introduce them.

“Waves, this is Dolls and Chetri.” _Waves? She’s never called me Waves. Maybe it was a slip of the tongue._ Dolls handed Nicole two beers and then proceeded to shake Waverly’s hand.

“So, you’re the one Haught goes on about. Nice to finally meet you.” Waverly smiled.

“It’s nice to meet you too.” Waverly gave a small wave towards Jeremy. “Nice to see you again, Jeremy.” Nicole opened both beers and handed one to Waverly. 

“Doing any runs tonight?” Nicole took a swig of her beer and looked around the lot. Pretty much the same people that show up every time. She recognized a lot of the cars as they were in and out of her garage getting fixed or updated. 

“Two, so far. Nothing crazy. They’re still pretty green so I can't really expect much. We’ve already looked at their gear and set-ups. They’re all set up over there if you want to check it out. I’ve gotta get back, but I’ll see you guys later, yeah? We are up on the hill playing poker and I could use a good partner.” Dolls said suggestively as he lifted his beer. “It was nice to meet you.” They said their goodbyes and Nicole looked over to the section identified by Dolls. 

“Wanna take a look?” Jeremy was over excited. Nicole asked Waverly and she agreed. The three walked over to the first car with its hood raised. Nicole took her flashlight out and started examining the engine bay while Jeremy started making judgements on parts used and the craftsmanship. Nicole hums in response, voicing her disapproval of the welds on the headers. Waverly’s attention drifts to their surroundings. She thought it would be different. For how everybody talks about these races, she expected there to be a reason why they were considered so bad. Yet, people got along here better than those at Shorty’s. It was just one big hang out with people of one similar interest. Waverly comes back to the conversation.

“. . .they’re all using the wrong piston rings and pistons if they want to get the kind of compression ratio for the performance they need. It’s a rookie mistake. They don’t even use performance chips! And you know their weight is way over. . .”

“They’ve got a long way to go. Have they been taking any tips?” Nicole interrupted Jeremy’s long complaint.

“No. When Dolls tried to introduce himself and make some suggestions, they were standoffish.” Nicole shut her flashlight off and finished the rest of her beer.

“Well, when one of their engines blow up, let’s hope that they can afford to put it back together long enough for it to not happen again.” The three of them walked back towards the overlook. “What about you, Chetri? You running yours today?” 

“I was thinking about it but none of our guys are going today.” Jeremy pulled beers from an ice chest in someone’s trunk and handed them to Nicole and Waverly.

“Mind if we catch a ride with you? Waverly’s never seen over sixty-five.” Jeremy’s smile grew wide.

“Really? How fast are you looking to go?” Nicole and Jeremy both look to Waverly and she smiled. She hadn’t thought of how fast she wanted to go. 

“How about 140?” Jeremy’s eyes got big.

“I like your enthusiasm. We could do 140.” Nicole wrapped her arm over Waverly’s shoulders and pulled her into her side. Waverly laid her head against Nicole’s chest. 

“Right now or?” Jeremy motioned to his car.

“Can we?” Waverly lifted her head off Nicole’s chest and looked up to her. Nicole’s heart sped up at the sight of an unexpectedly fired-up Waverly. 

“Look at you all excited.” Nicole chuckled and squeezed her arm around Waverly. “Let’s do it now before those kids start.” Jeremy turned the car on to let it warm up. Waverly wrapped both of her arms around Nicole and held her tight. With Waverly’s head pressed against her chest, it was the first time she was able to see through Nicole’s experienced exterior and realize that she wasn’t the only one that was overpowered by nervousness. Nicole’s heart was beating hard and fast just as hers had the majority of the time she spent with Nicole. 

“I hope you don’t mind that I called you ‘Waves.’ It just came out, but I kinda like it.” Nicole kept Waverly against her, rubbing Waverly’s back. Waverly closed her eyes and nestled further into Nicole.

“I don’t mind. People usually call me ‘Waves.’” Waverly kept her head against Nicole’s chest, finding her heart's pace not reducing. Waverly started to shiver. _Two thermals were definitely not enough for tonight,_ she thought. Being against Nicole like this was arguably one of her favorite spots now. She felt safe in her embrace. It made her think of kissing Nicole again but she was enjoying the closeness too much to separate from her. 

“I knew you were going to be cold.” Nicole rested her cheek on the top of Waverly’s head. “Want to get into Jeremy’s car while I go get the blanket? It should be getting warm here soon.” Waverly was cold but she also didn’t want to move. She could live without the blanket for the time being.

“Can we stay like this instead?” Nicole could feel her heart in her throat. Instinctively, her embrace grew stronger. 

“Whatever you want, Waves.” Waverly smiled at the nickname. She liked it when Nicole said it too. A few minutes later Nicole caught Jeremy from the corner of her eye, giving a hand signal that they were ready to go. 

“It’s time.” Nicole loosened her arms around Waverly and grabbed her right hand. Waverly pulled away from Nicole, immediately feeling disappointed at the detachment. Nicole squeezed her hand to get her attention.

“Do you want shotgun?” Waverly nodded with a blooming smile. They walked to the car and Nicole got in the back seat. Waverly settled into the car, the warmth enveloping her. Jeremy’s car was completely different from Nicole’s. It was a two door sports car with no roll cage. The interior was just like a car with extra aftermarket buttons on the dash. Jeremy pulled off the embankment and onto the middle of the road. 

“Seat belts?” Nicole asked cautiously. 

“Yes.” Jeremy and Waverly said simultaneously. 

“NOS or no?” 

“You’re still using that crap?” Nicole shook her head. 

“I haven’t taken it out yet, mom.” Jeremy said sarcastically and looked over to Waverly. “It’s a whole thing.” He continued while talking with his hands.

“Have you got the right tires?” Nicole leaned back into the seat. 

“Yes, and I checked everything before we got in the car. You know I’m careful.”

“Alright. Once on the way there, that’s it.” 

“Yes!” Jeremy got situated. “Haught won’t ever admit it, but she still has a weakness for boost. I’m going to start a slow build up and I’ll let you know when I’m about to hit the button so you can keep your head back. Ready?” Jeremy waited for Waverly to get her bearings.

“Ready.” Waverly got the chills. Jeremy took off, turning the brights on as the car’s speed and the sound of the engine climbed exponentially. Before Waverly knew it Jeremy was already suggesting pressing the button. She kept her head back and gripped onto the edges of the seat. Jeremy pressed the button and the sound of the engine roared loudly as the speed considerably grew. Waverly could definitely feel the difference between town speeds and what they were at now. Watching as the speed got higher and higher and feeling it with the drag of the car was enthralling. 

“110.” Jeremy spoke over the engine. He kept announcing the speed in tens until he reached 140. He maintained the speed at 140 for about thirty seconds before slowing down. 

“What’d you think?” Jeremy asked.

“It was incredible.” Waverly turned in her seat. “And your’s can go faster than that?” Nicole nodded.

“It’s a whole different feeling when you’re actually driving. When you’re letting someone else drive you feel it a bit more but when you’re driving, it feels like you’re flying.” Jeremy finally came to a stop and made a u-turn. 

“Can I drive next time?” Nicole laughed.

“Yeah. But maybe we should wait until it’s dry out. You’ve got to get used to the speed and learn what to keep an eye on. I can teach you all that.” An already smiling Waverly bit her bottom lip and unknowingly gave Nicole a look that did nothing short of arouse her. 

“Okay. I’m only going to go to a hundred but I’m going to let the car roll forward then hit the pedal to the floor.” Waverly sat back down, facing forward. Jeremy did as he said and did not disappoint. For Waverly, it was far more exciting to start out this way than going slow. Just as the last run passed quickly, as did this one. Soon, Jeremy was slowing down once within reasonable distance from the overlook. 

“Thanks, Jeremy.” Jeremy made a u-turn and backed up into his original spot on the embankment. 

“Anytime. It’s always good to give her a good run, otherwise why have her.” They disembarked and started towards the rear of the car. 

“Thanks, Chetri. I owe you one.” Nicole handed him a beer and Jeremy politely refused.

“I’m driving some people home tonight. You know what happens when they play poker.” Jeremy shrugged his shoulders. “I’m going to head up there, you guys want to come?” 

“We’ll be right behind you.” Jeremy made his way up the hill and Nicole offered a beer to Waverly. Waverly’s buzz was dying so she accepted. Nicole leaned against the trunk next to Waverly. “I’m glad you came with me tonight. You haven’t spent much time with Dolls yet but we spent a lot of time together growing up. He’s taught me a few things since then and he’s a good friend. Like family. We’ve got some stories together.” Nicole chuckled. 

“I’d like to hear them sometime.” Waverly pivoted to Nicole and reached for Nicole’s wrist, her hand sliding down to lace their fingers together. Nicole set her beer down on the trunk and took a deep breath to set aside her burning arousal. Waverly turned shy under Nicole’s smouldering eyes. “I was going to tell you something earlier.” Waverly smiled out of embarrassment. Nicole hummed in response for her to continue. “I really like being with you.” Pressure in Waverly’s chest began to increase monumentally. “You’re so patient with me and you make me feel,” Waverly paused, trying to find the right word. “Invincible. And nervous.” They both laughed and Waverly got closer to Nicole, mere inches from each other. “Really nervous. Especially when you look at me like that.”

“Like what?” Nicole blushed at being caught. 

“It’s not a bad thing. I like it. I like it a lot. I like you a lot.” Waverly glanced from Nicole’s eyes to her mouth and back. It was quick but Nicole caught it. _Is she going to kiss me?_ Nicole could feel her resolve disintegrating. 

“I like you a lot too.” Waverly smiles at an uncoiling Nicole. It propels her confidence. Waverly released her hand from Nicole’s and set down her beer. She then got up on her tiptoes and hugged Nicole putting her arms around her neck. Nicole stood stunned, eventually migrating her arms around the small of her back and leaning down so Waverly could reach. Waverly rested her head on Nicole’s shoulder and untwisted her arms so that her hands were clasped at the back of Nicole’s neck. Her fingers rubbed circles into the sensitive skin as she gathered the courage to finally kiss her. She turned her head so her lips were at Nicole’s ear. 

“God, you’re driving me crazy,” Waverly choked out, keeping her fingers busy so that she could dissociate herself from the overall anxiety she felt. “I’ve been dying to kiss you,” she tried not to sound needy but didn’t feel like she succeeded. She could hear the subtle change in Nicole’s breathing and the twitching of her fingers against her back. Nicole didn’t think it was possible to be this sexually frustrated while being just as nervous. It made her dizzy, almost drunk on lust. She could feel what she was going to have to take care of when she got home and goddamn had she been doing a lot of it recently. She didn’t know what it was but everything about Waverly turned her on. Nicole pulled back and rested her forehead against Waverly’s. She could hold back. Waverly’s hands moved to Nicole’s shoulders, using them as leverage to get closer to Nicole. She inadvertently grazed the taller woman’s cheek with her nose and continued the trail to where she could feel Nicole’s breath on hers. Only a short breadth away, Nicole tilted her head to give Waverly easier access. Waverly was concentrating so hard on breathing and closing the gap between her and Nicole that she didn’t hear her name the first time.

“Waverly?!” An urgent and confused exclamation matching with a flickering light that nearly made Waverly jump. Nicole was the first to look towards the light.


	4. Take Me Somewhere

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Waverly and Nicole get to work together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, again! I'm sorry for the long wait for this chapter. Life has been hectic and I've been keeping up two jobs and school with little to no time to update in between. Thank you for reading and continuing to read the story. I had the opportunity to add a piece of art I commissioned from the incredibly talented Tumblr artist [oliviajoytaylor. ](https://oliviajoytaylor.tumblr.com) It is an honor to be able to showcase her art here in accordance with events that happen in the story. If you like it, let me know or drop by her Tumblr! Show support for all of our artists. I will be uploading images that are relative to what Nicole and Waverly work on as it's difficult to get an understanding without a good visual. Images will be in the end notes. Thank you!

Eyes glazed over, Waverly looked into the blinding, flickering light. The force of the familiar voice wasn’t used very often but it would be uncanny for her to say that she didn’t recognize it. Wynonna always had a way with stepping in during some of Waverly’s highly awaited moments. It wasn’t enough that she would barge into some interesting situations but she also had the capacity to embarrass the shit out of her. 

“What. Are. You. Doing.” The light flickered on and off in accordance with each syllable. Nicole’s hand came up in an attempt to shield the light but still couldn’t make out much of anything aside from two silhouettes. Waverly would’ve been more embarrassed by Wynonna’s interfering had she not been drinking, but there was a slight sliver of panic and adrenaline that rushed through her. 

“Put down the flashlight, Wynonna.” Waverly let out with an exasperated sigh. Nicole turned back to Waverly with a stunned look on her face.

“Wynonna? As in. . .?” Waverly gave a quick nod. Wynonna finally turned off the flashlight, stepping closer with another person alongside her. 

“Yeah, her older sister, big red. Why’ve you got your grimey hands all over my sister?” Waverly instinctively grabbed Nicole’s hand and squeezed. Nicole and Waverly’s eyes were still adjusting to the darkness. 

“Hey! Easy.” Dolls’ defensive voice surfaced. Wynonna and Dolls bickered amongst each other below their breath.

“Dolls?” Nicole called out as he spoke directly to Wynonna. 

“Actually,” Waverly cleared her throat, trying to elevate the sound of her voice loud enough for Wynonna to hear. “In retrospect, my hands were on her.” In that moment, Nicole felt like she could die. Especially since Waverly hadn’t even come out yet. The redhead never bolstered up the courage to ask about whether Waverly had thought about coming out since she knew that it was personal and she didn’t want to make Waverly feel pressured. She figured Waverly would talk about it when she was ready but she had not expected the discussion to happen when she hadn’t even met her family yet; not to mention, being right smack in the middle.

Wynonna glanced back to Waverly, shocked at her declaration. Dolls was trying to get through to Wynonna when a keyword caught her attention.

“Wait, wait, wait. Haught?” Nicole’s back stiffened. “You’re Haught?” Waverly fought back a smile from the intonation and how silly the question sounded. She knew that it was probably not funny right now, but she could already imagine all the nicknames Wynonna would conjure up. 

“That’s what I was trying to say.” Dolls said, defeated. Wynonna walked up to the couple and mid-stride her eyes caught their linking hands. _No kidding, huh._ Nicole kept a strong front, deterred a little by the fact that she didn’t want to disrespect Waverly’s sister. If she had a sister and someone had their hands on her, she would be just as protective. 

“I’m not going to apologize for what I said because _in retrospect,_ you did have your hands on my sister.” Wynonna says sarcastically while glancing in Waverly’s direction. “Don’t hurt my sister or I’ll hurt you, got it?”

“Never had the intention.” Nicole nodded, keeping her cool. Waverly squeezed Nicole’s hand while rubbing her thumb against the back of her hand. Nicole could see Dolls coming towards them in her peripherals.

“Are you done?” Waverly said impatiently, the cold already seeping through the fabric of her clothes.

“With the infamous Haught, yeah.” Wynonna gave her little sister the look. Waverly knew instantly that it was going to be a long night with Wynonna digging and asking questions that she probably didn’t want to know the answers to. Truth be told, it had been a long time since they sat down and talked about anything. Since being around Nicole, everything else has sort of faded to the background. In combination with Wynonna and her having been drifting apart, the conversations they had were simple. 

“Speaking of which, it’s an honor.” Wynonna reached her hand out and Nicole released Waverly’s to meet Wynonna halfway. Nicole was confused with the change in pace but was thankful the hard part was over. _Hopefully,_ she thought. “Your name is in everyone's mouth around here.” God, did Wynonna have a way with words. 

“Uh, odd way of saying that.” Nicole said with a furrowed brow. “We all know each other pretty well around here. I’m surprised we haven’t bumped into each other before.” 

“Remember how I was telling you about the great poker hand that was wiping the floor with everybody?” Dolls pointed to Wynonna. “Your first time here was,” Wynonna interrupted Dolls before he could finish.

“Hah! When your car dropped a valve!” Wynonna snorted. 

“Damn. That was a while ago.” Waverly snuck her arm around Nicole’s waist and Nicole eased into the movement, wrapping her arm around Waverly’s shoulders to keep her warm against her. _I should’ve gotten the blanket._ “It’s no wonder I haven’t seen you around. I’ve been MIA since that _incident_. And then I,” Nicole peered down at Waverly and forgot her train of thought. Waverly’s hair was falling in front of her face and Nicole had an itch to draw her hair back behind her ear. “I found better priorities.” Wynonna fake gagged.

“She always like this?” Wynonna half-whispered to Dolls, although it was made loud enough for everybody to hear. Nicole didn’t pay much attention to her comment as her mind had already drifted back to the tender elements of their almost kiss. The feeling of Waverly’s body against hers. Nimble fingers etching hot trails into the base of her neck. Waverly’s breath against hers. Waverly. Waverly. Waverly. 

“Anyway, we have a game open and pending.” Wynonna rocked back on her heels. “Alright then. When you two are done doing your—” she shook her head, unsure of what to call it, “girl things, come up and play with the big boys. $20 to $50 ins. Depending on how much you’re willing to lose.” Wynonna winked, flashed a toothy grin, and set off up the hill. Dolls pursed his lips into a smile.

“Sorry. I didn’t know you were,” he let out a breath, “sisters.” 

“It’s okay, it’s not your fault. I should’ve told her about Nicole and I.” Waverly shifted her weight onto her other foot. 

“Right. Well, if you want to join us, I’ll pay your entrance but I’ll tell you right now, she’s a force to be reckoned with.” 

“Yeah, I see that. I won’t push my luck. Poker is not my game.” Waverly was relieved that Nicole didn’t want to go as she already knew the talk she was going to have once she got back to the homestead. Waverly wanted more alone time with Nicole, however small. 

“Stick around? Or drinks later at the shop? Let me know when you’re free. Pleasure to meet you, Miss Earp.” Nicole laid her head on Waverly’s while they both watched him jog up the hill for the game. 

“I’m sorry about Wynonna. She can be overprotective at times. And I’m sorry I didn’t tell her sooner.” Waverly lifted her head to look into Nicole’s eyes.

“You don’t have to say sorry. I would’ve done the same if I had a brother or sister. As for not telling her, you never have to be sorry about that. Everybody’s coming out journey is different. You only tell people when you’re ready. Remember, no expectations.” Nicole reached down and grabbed Waverly’s hand bringing their linked hands up to her chest.

“I’ve been meaning to talk to Wynonna about it. Yeah, I wasn’t expecting it to be right, right now but I—" Her voice was getting watery. “I want everybody to know who you are and I’m sorry if it’s taken this long to start.” Nicole smiled and kissed Waverly’s forehead. 

“Don’t be sorry. I’m here when you’re ready, whenever that may be. I don’t want you to ever feel anything other than yourself.” _You’re more than anything I’ve ever wanted._ She wanted to say it, but it was too soon. Instead, she brought Waverly’s hand to her lips. Butterflies grew in Waverly’s belly. All Nicole had to do was look at her a certain way and Waverly could feel her body ache from the intensity. It made her feel uneasy but the fire burned so deep she could feel it in her fingertips. 

“Can we get out of here?” Waverly tilted her head, lips parting with the anticipation of receiving Nicole. “Take me,” she said in a low, sultry voice as again the lust again started to overtake her. “Take me somewhere.” Her hands somehow ended up along Nicole’s collarbones, sweeping along the bones from her shoulders to right under her ears. Nicole gulped at the feeling of featherlight touches along her jaw. Waverly was too much. Nicole was beginning to wonder if she was becoming as transparent as she felt. She was supposed to be the one making the moves but the times Waverly did something, it nearly immobilizes her. Then there were the times where it spurred her on, kept her alert, and waiting. Waiting to make sure it was Waverly’s decision. _Patience,_ she kept telling herself. Nicole cursed the oldest Earp in her head. 

There weren’t many places they could go right now considering the time and Nicole felt it was probably inappropriate to invite Waverly over with it being so late. Nicole did owe Waverly a shop date since she had started rebuilding the engine without her. She hadn’t figured out why, but Waverly loved the shop. Seeing how everything gets taken apart and put back together made her giddy and it always made the redhead’s heart skip a beat. 

“I’ve got keys to the shop.” Nicole stopped herself from pressing her face into Waverly’s hands. “I can give you that lesson you’ve been asking for.” She could see the corners of Waverly’s lips turn up into a smile before bringing her bottom lip between her teeth. _Jesus Christ. The things I’d do to this woman._

“And then could you show me how to drive stick?” Nicole threw her head back and laughed. Of course that’s what she would be thinking about right now.

“How about I take you for a drive when we both aren’t drinking?” Waverly’s hands ran back up her jawline and clasped against her neck. 

“Fair enough. Now get me out of here.”

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

They pulled up to the shop gates with the heater on full blast. Nicole got out and unlocked the gate to pull the doors open just enough to get in so that she could close them before they continued any further. It was cold and she was partially regretting her decision to dress up. She looked over to a bundled up Waverly and chuckled. 

“You can bring the blanket, if you want.” Waverly jokingly scowled. They got out and Nicole opened the door to let her in the shop. It wasn’t much warmer but Nicole had prepped for this winter as she had every other one. They walked through the full shop. Waverly hadn’t seen every bay full until now and had an immense curiosity to stop and look at every truck. Alas, she followed Nicole to her tool box where the same freestanding engine she had seen during her first visit. There were less parts on the tables than she remembered but more or less, everything was the same. Nicole unlocked her box and put her keys and wallet in the top drawer. 

“Wanna put anything in?” She said, leaving the drawer open. Waverly pulled out her wallet and set it next to Nicole’s. 

“What are you teaching me today, Professor Haught?” 

“Whatever you want.” 

“Alright. This one,” Nicole squeezed passed Waverly to the freestanding engine and laid a flat hand on the deck on the block. “I need to put the gear plate on and adjust the gear lash.” She held her hand out for Waverly to grab and she took it. They moved the truck adjacent to the freestanding engine. 

“This one needs a transmission and so do,” Nicole pointed a finger to two other trucks. “Those trucks. And the last ones are smaller repairs. But, I do know you like the gears.” Nicole said with a smile. 

“I do.” 

“So, it’s set. I still have to clean the gear plate to put it on but maybe you’d like to see that?” 

“Yes!” She said enthusiastically. 

“The cleaning part is tedious, as well as the gear lash, but it’s a good start.” They slowly walked back to the parts and Nicole pointed down to the gear plate. It was covered in oil and a light grey substance. “I don’t know if you’re interested but since I can’t teach you to drive,” she said with a shrug of her shoulders. “You wanna get dirty with me?” A question that could quickly become suggestive so she changed her course. “I’ve got some extra work clothes. They might be a little big on you but you can roll ‘em up.” 

“I can do it, then?” Waverly tried to hide her smile. 

“Mhm. And I’ll mentor.” 

“Show me the way.” An animated Waverly bounced within the confines of her blanket. They weaved through the trucks and into the lunchroom. The memory of their first lunch together struck Waverly. She remembered seeing Nicole in her coveralls and oil streaks on her face and neck. An image that she thought about pretty frequently, might she add. Everytime she gets to see Nicole get dirty is a good day. Nicole opened the locker room and held it open for Waverly to enter. Nicole went straight to her locker and unlocked it, pulling out two coveralls. She handed one to Waverly and reminded herself to bring some of the fresh thermal pants and sweaters from the house. She grabbed the only pair she had left and gave them to Waverly. 

“That should be it. I--uh--I’m just going to wait outside.” She turned to leave but spun back around. “And try and use the thermals. You don’t want to ruin any of your clothes. You’d be surprised how easy it is to get oil on you.” With that, Nicole left Waverly to change. Waverly felt a little weird but made sure to make quick work of changing so that Nicole could come in and change. The coveralls were a rather obviously large fit so she rolled up the sleeves and pant legs. Waverly picked up her clothes and opened the door to see an already ready Nicole sitting at one of the tables, her clothes on the tabletop. 

“That was fast.” Nicole got up and grabbed her clothes. “I can take those.” Waverly handed her clothes over to Nicole. “They’ll be in the locker so we have no possibility of getting them dirty.” It was Waverly’s turn to hold the door open for Nicole and she had to say, the view was not bad. She looked down at her get up and was pretty damn sure that she looked silly swimming in Nicole’s coveralls. _Definitely not the same effect._ Nicole came back and got the door for Waverly to head out towards the shop. The redhead followed an eager Waverly back to the truck. Nicole left Waverly at the parts tables to grab two pairs of gloves and the tools necessary for the job. 

“Here you go.” She handed Waverly the gloves and set the tools on the ground next to the engine. “Alright. We are going to need these three gears,” she grabbed one and pointed to the other two. “Then, of course, the gear plate. I’ve got the new bolts in the box with the smaller idler gear.” Waverly grabbed the box and went to reach for the other gear before Nicole stopped her. “That one is the adjustable idler gear.” She carefully lifted the gear from the edge and slipped a flat hand behind the gear before lifting it up to show Waverly. “This one has two oiling plates as well as an intermediate plate in the middle that directs the oil. If you don’t pick it up right, it’ll all fall apart. Wanna see?” Waverly nodded and Nicole lifted the top oiling plate off to reveal the intermediate plate. The intermediate plate had the holes for the six mounting bolts as well as oil galleys etched into it. Nicole put the top plate back on and flipped the gear into her other hand to pull off the rear plate. The intermediate plate was the same thickness as the gear but looked different from front to back.

“Pretty cool, huh?” Nicole smiled and placed the plate back on. She set the gear back down momentarily and went to her box to grab two engine blankets. She unfolded them and placed them on the deck of the block. She grabbed the adjustable idler gear and placed it on the blankets. Waverly then placed the box with the gear and bolts on the deck as well. Nicole grabbed the gear plate and walked away from the engine.

“One sec, I need to get a trash can.” The taller woman came back with a dirty white barrel and placed the gear plate on top. She went back and got more tools and some safety glasses. Nicole handed Waverly a pair and hooked up an air line when she realized there was no air.

“I’m sorry, I’ve got to turn the air compressor on and then we are good to go.” Nicole jogged to the back of the shop and went outside to the air compressor. She opened the drain to check for water in the system, there was none. Finally, she turned the air compressor on and went back inside to meet Waverly.

“Okay, we are ready to go. She hooked up a die grinder with a wire wheel and walked over to Waverly. The air compressor was still building air so she waited for the air compressor to meet it’s governed pressure. “This is what we use to clean things like silicon or mating surfaces.” She pushed on the lever and the wire wheel spun at a very high speed. “You want to try?” Waverly reached for the tool, careful not to depress the lever. “Nicole put her hand on Waverly’s lower back to bring her to the gear plate. “We need to get rid of all this grey and red-orange stuff. It’s old silicon and rust. You’ll also want to touch up these spots,” Nicole traced the edges of large holes in the gear plate with a glove clad hand. “These are mating surfaces for o-rings and we don’t want those to leak. Now, the best thing is to try it first, before putting it on the gear plate. You mind?” Nicole was behind Waverly, her hands making to grab Waverly’s hands. Waverly shook her head and Nicole grabbed her hands and oriented them on the tool in a way that would give Waverly more control. “You’ll want to use both hands to hold it since it likes to move because of the vibration. Now, hold it up.” Nicole lifted their hands up and away from them. “When you’re ready, give it a tap.” Waverly depressed the lever and felt the die grinder twist a little bit.

“Whoa.” Waverly was a little jumpy as she hadn’t expected the kick but it wasn’t that bad.

“You got it?” Nicole’s hands came down to her sides to let Waverly get used to it. “When you’re ready, put it to the metal and press down a little bit. You’ll be able to see if you need to put more pressure because it will look like it’s not cleaning it.” Waverly set the tool on the plate and hit the lever and saw sparks, her hand automatically released her grip on the lever. “That’s normal. Sorry, I should've warned you about that. That’s why we have safety glasses. You’ll be okay. Just keep the grinder away from your body and keep both hands on it.” Waverly put the grinder back on the metal and tried again, stopping a few times to readjust her hands because of the vibration running through them.  
“You’re a natural. Can’t wait to see what you can do with your hands.” She could hear the smirk in Nicole’s voice right next to her ear and it sent shockwaves to her core. There was a kind of huskiness in NIcole’s voice that made Waverly’s stomach flip. Waverly shook off the growing arousal and kept on the gear plate, focusing on all the dirty spots and silicon. She could hear Nicole in the background moving things around and was tempted to turn back. 

Nicole grabbed two mechanic roller seats and put them at the rear of the engine for them to sit. She sat down on one of the seats and cleaned the back of the block with a clean rag and brake clean while watching Waverly hovering over the gear plate, tool in hand. She looked so cute with her tiny frame in her big clothes. Waverly was so concentrated that Nicole couldn’t help but giggle. When she finally got the back of the block how she wanted it, she got up and looked over Waverly’s shoulder. Waverly was already done and was retracing the areas she’d already cleaned. Nicole walked around the gear plate so she wouldn’t surprise Waverly and cause an accident.

“That should be good.” Waverly relieved the pressure on the lever and went back over her work. “Are you ready for the good stuff?” 

“What are you teaching me exactly?” Waverly handed over the grinder and Nicole removed the quick connect and set the tool on the parts table. 

“I’m going to teach you how to set the gear plate and how to adjust the plate and gear lash for the idler gear and bull gear.” 

“I have no idea what you’re talking about but I’m ready.” Nicole laughed and lifted the gear plate from the trash can and pushed the trash can to the side with her foot. She set the gear plate on top of the engine blankets on the block.

“I usually adjust the plate with silicon already on it but that only gives you twenty minutes to set the lash so we are going to put it on dry first, set the lash, and then take it back off to put the silicon.” Nicole grabbed two rags and grabbed the gear plate again and set it against the back of the engine. She grabbed three bolts from the box Waverly had put on the block and fastened the gear plate to the block. Nicole got up and offered the seat to Waverly. Waverly sat down and stared at the gear plate. She still didn’t know exactly what she was looking at and how it was supposed to look. Nicole sat behind her and reached over Waverly’s shoulder to grab the box of bolts with the idler gear in it. She pulled the gear out and gave it to Waverly. 

“That is the idler gear and it goes right here, right next to the crank gear.” She pointed to one of the smaller holes in the gear plate and then to the bigger gear. Waverly could feel the weight of the gear in her hands and thought, _if this one was this heavy, how heavy were the other ones?_ Nicole passed her the bolt for the gear and Waverly fastened the gear to the plate. 

“We need the bull gear now. I don’t know if you want to try lifting this. This one is the heaviest and the gear teeth kinda sink into your skin.” Waverly went to grab the gear and underestimated the weight to where it almost fell. Nicole’s hands caught Waverly’s waist as the smaller woman steadied the gear. Waverly was already nervous. With the addition of Nicole’s hands on her waist and how close Nicole was in proximity, she nearly audibly gasped. The feeling of Nicole’s grip on her waist another strong rush of heat downwards and to her cheeks. It made her lightheaded.

“I’m sorry.” Nicole withdrew her hands, to Waverly’s dismay, and got up. “Here, I’ll get it for you real quick.” They changed spots and Nicole put up the remaining two gears with two bolts each. She reached down and pulled out some special guide bolts and installed them finger tight. She grabbed two bars off the floor and installed them to the underside of the block. “There.” She got up and Waverly moved back to her original spot. Nicole worked from behind Waverly. Installing a dial indicator with a magnetic base onto the gear plate and placing the metal tip on the gear. She adjusted the pre-load on the rod and tightened the maneuverable joints. 

“May I?” Nicole held out her palms in front of Waverly. She was closer than before and could almost feel Nicole’s thighs against hers. Part of her wanted Nicole to just wrap her arms around her so she could feel Nicole against her and the pressure from her embrace. She should’ve just kissed her earlier, they were already caught anyway. Now she had to build her courage back up again and goddamn was it hard. She held her breath as she put her hands in Nicole’s. _There was still time._ Nicole moved close to Waverly, their thighs brushing against one another and her chest nearly touching her. Nicole raised their hands onto the biggest gear and she set Waverly’s hands at 10 and 2 o’clock. 

“To set the lash, we have to move the gear from left to right and check the dial indicator to see how much play we have.” With a gentle pressure, she gripped onto Waverly’s hands and moved the gear back and forth slowly but there wasn’t much movement. “See how the needle on the indicator moves. It reads in thousandths of an inch and the specification for this gear is .002” to .006”. We barely have any lash because the weight of the gear plate is drawing the gear downwards onto the crank gear so we have to adjust these bars down at the bottom until we get the right lash.” The taller woman spoke low and calmly with absolutely no sense of discomposure while Waverly was becoming restless with every touch. Her core was aching in such a severity that she didn’t know what to do with herself. She had never been this painfully turned on and some part of herself felt embarrassed because Nicole and her hadn’t even kissed yet and Nicole didn’t seem to be scrambling. Either Nicole wasn’t in the same headspace as her or she just had a very good way of hiding it. Nicole relinquished Waverly’s hands and scooted over to the parts table to get a 10 mm wrench. Nicole tightened the bars little by little.

“Try it.” Waverly moved the gear back and forth. There was a lot of play now and the needle on the indicator made a full revolution. “Now we are too high, so I’ve got to loosen them.” Nicole tried not to rest her forearms on Waverly’s thighs but failed to keep from not sweeping across the top of them. “These bars on the bottom adjust this gear and for the smaller idler, a side to side adjustment of the gear plate is needed.” 

“There.” Nicole placed the wrench near the middle of her thigh and clasped a hand over it to keep it from falling. Waverly moved the gear again while watching the needle on the indicator pass back and forth through three tick marks. 

“That’s it right there. It’s at .003”. Perfect.” The air compressor turned back on to build air and Nicole twisted in that direction, thinking she might have heard something else too, but there was nothing. Waverly swiveled in the chair and unconsciously planted her hand on Nicole’s upper thigh to retain balance. Nicole involuntarily gripped onto the wrench on her thigh in response to the unexpected contact. What was even more unexpected was meeting Waverly’s dark eyes and flushed face. _Goddamn._ A fire instantly lit in her belly as she sat motionless, heartbeat in her ears. She increased the grip on her thighs to help relieve the tension that was building in her body. Waverly could see the redhead’s forearm muscles flexing in her peripheral vision and a visible change in demeanor. _Maybe she does feel it._

  


“Can you show me one more time, before I do it myself?” Waverly watched as Nicole’s eyes flickered from hers to her mouth. Nicole swallowed and nodded. Nicole loosened the bars at the bottom of the block and removed the dial indicator from its original position and put it into Waverly’s hands. 

“Start with this. I’ll guide you through it. Just place it somewhere on the plate and adjust it to one of the teeth on the gear so it appears at a ninety degree angle.” Waverly got the indicator close to the metal and it snapped onto the metal.

“Sorry, see this lever? It makes the magnetic base magnetic or not. So, switch it to the off position and find your spot.” Waverly switched it off and put the indicator a couple of inches away before switching it back on. She loosened the joints and fixed it to its proper ninety degree position.

“Like that?” Waverly looked over her shoulder and their foreheads collided. “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry.” Nicole laughed it off as Waverly reached to rub her fingers across the afflicted area. 

“I shouldn’t have been hovering.” Nicole’s laugh dissipated at the feel of the smaller woman’s fingertips. There it was again. Tingling ran down her face and a lump grew in her throat. An instant effect that Waverly caught on quickly to. The brunette’s fingers traced over her temple to push fiery red strands behind her ear. It was a simple and endearing move that left her wanting. Wanting to kiss her. To feel her. Nicole’s thoughts consumed her and she could feel the tension building in her stomach over and over again. She could hear the words Waverly whispered into her ear earlier that night and it made her cheeks tinged with pink. It was nothing short of how Waverly felt. Heart racing and an inability to continue any sort of conversation considering the situation. 

“I—“ Waverly began but was then interrupted by a door slamming and two loud voices. 

“Haught, are you ready for—“ Dolls and Jeremy stood in a clear view between trucks. Nicole let out a disappointed sigh as Waverly laid her forehead on Nicole’s shoulder. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize—“ Dolls set the beer cases down and held up his right hand mid-waist. “You know what, we’ll catch up with you tomorrow.” Jeremy shook his head in agreement. 

Waverly raised her head from Nicole’s shoulder and directed her attention to them. “No, no. It’s okay. It’s getting late already and I should get back home to Wynonna. Do you mind taking me home?” She asked Nicole. 

“No problem at all.” Nicole stood up and reached for Waverly’s hand to pull her up. Nicole put her back towards Dolls and Jeremy and spoke low for only Waverly to hear, “We will continue this later. I’ll wait for you,” Nicole smiled and rubbed her thumb over her hand. “I promise.” Waverly’s chest tightened and there was a slight relief to their tension filled atmosphere. Waverly walked back to the locker rooms to get changed while Nicole threw glares at Dolls and Jeremy. Jeremy mouthed sorry just as Waverly had passed them. Nicole ignored them and grabbed all the tools to put them in their respective places. 

Waverly stripped down and removed her gloves to change into her clothes; remembering to fold the uniform and thermals Nicole let her use. She brought her hands to her face and smoothed out the tiredness from her eyes. She let out a deep breath as she tried to relax. _If it was Wynonna, at least I could be mad._ Part of her was angry because there seemed to not be a right time but she quelled those emotions before they rose any higher. Waverly placed the clothes in the locker and walked out back into the shop to an already waiting Nicole. Dolls and Jeremy wandered around the engine they were working on and paid no mind to Waverly’s entrance to avoid another intervention. 

“Good night.” Waverly said to the guys and they waved their goodbyes. 

“I’m really sorry about that.” Nicole said as they got back into the truck; her hands already finding the knob to turn the heat up for Waverly. With that they were out of the gate and onto the road. 

“It’s okay. I’m glad I got to spend time with you tonight. I want you to spend time with your friends too.” Waverly's hand reached across the bench seat and her fingers danced slowly into Nicole’s. There was nothing like it, for Nicole.

“I’d rather have more time with you.” Waverly smiled shyly. “C’mere.” Nicole released Waverly’s hand and extended her arm for Waverly to move to the middle of the bench seat. Waverly slid over and rested her head on her shoulder and kept her hand on Nicole’s thigh. Waverly was finally getting tired and fought to keep her eyes open. They rode in silence back to the homestead. Waverly nearly fell asleep, her eyelids weighing heavy from the long nights she had been working. When Nicole reached the homestead she gently squeezed the smaller woman’s shoulder, careful not to startle her. 

“You’re home.” Nicole whispered. Waverly peeled herself from Nicole and started folding the blanket from earlier. “No, hey, don’t be silly. You don’t have to fold it, it’s okay.” Waverly finished folding it anyway. She was dreading going inside. She was tired and having been intercepted by multiple people tonight didn’t make her feel like talking. 

“Thank you for bringing me home.” Waverly put the blanket on the seat and smoothed out the wrinkles. 

“Thank you for coming with me and eating my questionable attempt at vegan tacos.” Waverly laughed. 

“They weren’t bad. I’d say they were a ten out of ten.” It was Nicole’s turn to laugh. 

“Now you’re just being generous but I’ll take it. Thank you.” Their laughter subsided and Waverly stared at the homestead. There was no avoiding it. The longer she waited, the more late into the night it would be. She pulled on the door handle to crack the door open. 

“I’ll see you soon?” Waverly inquired, with somewhat of a worry in her voice. 

“Whenever you’re free.” The corner of Nicole’s lips tipped up into a smile. Waverly slid back across the bench seat to give Nicole a hug and made sure to dig her face into the juncture of her neck and shoulder. Nicole’s embrace was strong. It always felt safe. They melted together wrapped up in each other. She wanted to always be with Nicole. 

“It looks like we’ve got an audience.” Nicole eased up on her hold enough for Waverly to find Wynonna coming outside to sit in a chair, whiskey in hand. 

“Better it Wynonna than my aunt, I guess.” Waverly slipped away from Nicole and out of the truck. 

“Call me tomorrow?” Nicole nodded. “Thank you again for tonight.”

“Anytime.” They said good night and Waverly stepped up onto the homestead porch to watch Nicole drive away. 

“So, a girl, huh?” Wynonna started. “You never told me about her.” 

“Yes, she happens to be a girl.” A little sass in her voice from the lack of sleep. “You’ve been busy too. With Dolls.”

“You could’ve told me, you know.” Wynonna took a gulp of her whiskey.

“I was going to tell you when I was sure.” 

“You looked pretty sure when I saw you.” She quickly retorted. Waverly looked down. “I’m sorry. I just don't know why you didn’t tell me sooner.”

“It’s new for me too, Wynonna. I haven’t told anyone yet, and I had been meaning to tell you, I just kept chickening out.” They kept eye contact and in that moment, Waverly realized that she was definitely sure about Nicole, kiss or not. The feelings she had with Nicole couldn’t parallel any of her previous relationships. “I like her a lot, Wyn. It’s honestly scary sometimes.” 

“How is it scary? She better not have—“ 

“It’s nothing like that.” Waverly stopped her. “She’s caring and kind. Thoughtful. Patient. Very patient with me.” Waverly half-laughed, her emotions getting the best of her. “Maybe a little too patient.” 

“She’d better be. You’ve got a lot to offer, babygirl.” Wynonna finished the remaining liquid in her cup and poured herself another one before offering some to Waverly. Waverly shook her head and took a seat next on the porch railing. “So,” Wynonna set the glass between her thighs, “how’s the,” she raised her hands to make a penetrating motion while raising an eyebrow and whistling. Waverly rolled her eyes.

“We haven’t done anything, if you really need to know. You know I feel about _that_.” Wynonna just nodded.

“I thought you said therapy was working?” She kept digging and Waverly knew it was coming. One of the other things she hadn’t told her yet.

“I, uh,” Waverly fidgeted with her hands, already nervous to talk about it. “I stopped going.” It wasn’t something she was proud of considering she knew she wanted to go and that she needed to but even with all the sessions she found herself migrating further and further from the issue. Instead it became a “Why are you here?” deal that panned back to her pushing the memories in the back of her mind. She had already mastered rerouting the conversations and deliberately avoiding it that it made her lose faith in the process. Sure, she would plan and write out everything she had planned to talk about but when she sat in that seat, there was nothing that could make her tell her story, however convincing.

“Waves.” Wynonna turned in her chair to face her. “Why?” Waverly knew there wasn’t a good excuse for it especially since she was the one that decided on therapy.

“It was working at first. Getting passed all the family history and the ‘getting to know me’ part but then it got hard.” Tears began to grow in her eyes. “It’s one thing to get to know someone and another thing to actually say those things. It’s embarrassing.” Wynonna reached over and grabbed Waverly’s hands to console her.

“Have you tried another therapist? Maybe you haven’t found the right one.” Waverly didn’t want to get emotional right now. It was nearly four in the morning and the last thing she wanted to think about was this. And then there was Nicole. She couldn’t imagine having to tell Nicole, or even the aftermath. Sure, Nicole’s patient but it didn’t stop others from leaving her before.

“I haven’t. I don’t want to have to go through everything all over again. I know I need to call, but I’ve been really happy. Being with Nicole.” Tears slowly began to fall.

“Have you guys talked about it?” 

“We haven’t even kissed yet, thanks to you, no doubt.” She was still a little salty about that, although it wasn’t the older sister’s fault. “I don’t think it’s time to tell her yet but it’s different with her. She makes me feel things I didn’t think I could.” Wynonna swiped at a wet cheek. “Plus,” Waverly sniffed and rubbed her eye, “I think we are pretty far from that right now.”

“Well, you tell her when you’re ready, and when and if you decide to go back to therapy, I’ll go with you.” Wynonna pulled Waverly into a hug and held her tight. Waverly was the first to let go so she could clear her face of tears.

“I’d like that.” Wynonna laid back in her chair and drank her whiskey. 

“So,” Wynonna wiggled her eyebrows, “are you officially dating her now?” Waverly let out a laugh. Even with a previously horrid conversation Wynonna could make her laugh. Always curious, this one.

“I don’t know if we are dating-dating but we’ve been seeing each other pretty often for the last couple of weeks. Does that count?”

“A couple of weeks?” Wynonna said in surprise and it made Waverly feel a small bit guilty. 

“Yeah. The first time I saw her was when you took me to that shop.” Wynonna made an exaggerated “wow” face.

“That’s the hot motorcycle guy?” Waverly nodded. “Good taste, babygirl.” She gave a thumbs up. 

“You should see her when she’s working.” Waverly looked at the developing fog in the roadway, arms wrapped around her torso, and a cheesy grin on her face.

“Yikes. You’ve both got that smitten look.” Waverly playfully pushed her.

“And what about Dolls? Are you two dating?” Wynonna dramatically rolled her head around to Waverly.

“Let’s be real.” She gave the brunette a finger gun gesture. “He _is_ good in the sack, though.” She said in a sing-songy voice. Waverly scrunched her nose. 

“I’m going to head in. You going to stay out here?” Waverly got up from the chair and headed to the front door.

“Right behind ya. Gonna finish this last whiskey.” Wynonna raised her glass. “Good night.”

“Waverly said good night and headed to her room. She changed into pajamas and dropped onto her bed with her phone in her hands. The talk with Wynonna wasn’t as bad as she thought it was going to be, thankfully. She thought about texting Nicole but figured that she was busy with Dolls and Jeremy. She sought through her contacts and tapped on the messaging portion. _What better time than now, right?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for making it to the end of this chapter. I'm extremely thankful for all the people that read and review. Without it, it's kind of hard to want to continue a story. I would also like to say that if anybody has any ideas or criticisms, you can always comment or DM. Thank you again for still reading.
> 
> Gear arrangement and identification:
> 
> Adjusting the idler gear and bull gear with bars on the bottom of block:
> 
> Gear plate once cleaned:
> 
> Engine on engine stand:
> 
> Dial indicator on gear tooth:
> 
> My hand against the crankshaft gear to show scale:


	5. Coming Around.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! I know it's been a while now since I've posted but I appreciate everybody sticking around or even willing to read. I've avoided any mechanic talk this chapter as I'm trying to find a way to make it more efficient for readers to understand. If anyone has suggestions, let me know. I wanted to thank my friend and beta, Sahma96, for their determined work to keeping up with my mistakes and reading through so diligently. From here on out, the story will be tagged with NSFW and TW: Trauma. I'll be sure to warn in the chapter notes if either appear in the chapter. This chapter is NSFW.

_Waverly could feel Nicole’s pulse under the palm of her hand and it made her own pulse quicken. Her eyes steadied on Nicole’s lips and it was almost as if her heart was about to jump out of her chest. She hadn’t even realized the table behind her digging into her as Nicole’s hands held her waist with a pressure that was nearly the same as the pressure in her chest. She couldn’t take it anymore, she was going to combust if Nicole didn’t kiss her._

_“Kiss me.” She said as she lightly tugged on Nicole’s neck with trembling hands. Nicole rested her forehead on hers and nudged her nose against Waverly’s. Fuck, she wanted her. Waverly’s core was aching and Nicole still took her time. Nicole turned her head, staying there as she looked back up into Waverly’s eyes, their breath mingling together. Nicole closed her eyes and finally met Waverly’s lips. It was slow and languid. The combination of sensations made Waverly whimper. There was a release of pressure from her chest but it did nothing to quell her other frustrations. Her whole body felt like it was throbbing and, suddenly, slow wasn’t what she wanted anymore so she pushed further. The kiss turned passionate. Both of their hands were wandering, grabbing, and pulling and Nicole staggered forward, her thigh making brief contact with Waverly’s core. Waverly moaned into her mouth, fingernails digging into Nicole’s neck and shoulder. An act that invigorated Nicole and she leaned Waverly back and pressed her thigh back into her._

Waverly’s bedroom door slammed open by an overzealous Wynonna.

“Waverly! Up and at ‘em. We’ve got a party to go tonight and Haught stuff is going to be there.” Waverly groaned and flipped her pillow onto her face, unconsciously rubbing her thighs together. Wynonna sat at the edge of the bed and tried to grab the pillow from her face.

“I’ve got to start locking the door.” She mumbled through the pillow. Wynonna finally whipped the pillow from her face. Waverly felt like she was about to snap.

“Can’t hear you, sleepyhead.” Waverly took a deep breath and let it out to calm herself.

“How do you know Nicole is going to be there?” She asked, trying not to pay any mind to the throbbing that wouldn’t deescalate.

“I told Dolls that you were going and to invite her. C’mon, get up. It’s already two in the afternoon. You never sleep in this late.”

“Yeah, well, I was--” Waverly stopped and changed what she was about to say. “Tired.” Wynonna’s eyes narrowed and she looked at her suspiciously. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

“You were having a sex dream, weren’t you?” 

“Oh my gosh, get out!” Waverly pulled the pillow from Wynonna’s hands. 

“Ah-ha! You were!” Wynonna laughed until she snorted while an embarrassed Waverly pulled the covers over her head. “Was it good?”

“Can you please leave?” Waverly shoved the blankets down mid-waist. 

“Alright, alright.” Wynonna got up and headed to the door. “My baby girl is growing up so fast.” She teased.

“Wynonna!” 

“Okay. Just make it fast ‘cause we’ve got to help set up.” Wynonna laughed again and shut the door. Waverly rubbed her face and sighed. The door opened again.

“You want it locked ‘cause I--” Waverly threw her a glare. “Got ya.” Wynonna reached inside to lock the door and left laughing.

Waverly threw the covers back over her head and closed her eyes. Snippets of her dream slowly coming back to her. It was odd, she thought. She didn’t have a sex drive and thus didn’t often masturbate. She couldn’t even remember when she did last. She sighed. She was thinking too much about it but it was more of a chore on whether she would finish or not. Then, there was how long it would take. Waverly shook the thoughts from her head. _It’s part of getting better._ She tried to bring the dream back and let her hands wander down to the waistline of her pajama shorts. 

She could still feel it as if it were real. Nicole’s hands grabbing her waist and the heat between their bodies. She slipped her hand down her shorts and ran her fingers through the wetness there. _Jesus._ She continued to imagine Nicole pressing up against her with more pressure than the last as she drew tight circles over her clit. She remembered Nicole leaning her back and continued the fantasy with the redhead lifting her onto the table. Her fingers worked faster, slowly losing herself in the feeling. Dream Nicole laid her down on the table and tugged at the button of her pants to which Waverly nodded. Nicole popped the button open and slid her fingers against Waverly’s wet cunt. Waverly shied back a moan, trying not to be too loud. She imagined Nicole making the same motions as she was while bending over to kiss at her neck. She was already getting close. 

The thought of Nicole touching her set her body on fire so much that her legs had already started to tremble. _I’m going to lose it, it’s too much._ The build-up of her orgasm started slipping away. She paused every couple of minutes to let go of the tension in her body; keeping to the dream and trying to stay focused on what imaginary Nicole was doing. She added pressure to her clit and rubbed faster, imagining Nicole whispering encouraging words in her ear. She began to get sore and kept moving to other places, increasing and decreasing pressure, and pausing when there was too much tension in her muscles. Waverly could feel the pleasure intensifying and then diminishing over and over again until she started to get a dull ache at her temples. She stopped her movements and took a breath. She was frustrated that it wasn’t happening even though it wasn’t something new. She rubbed her face with her other hand and got up to get ready before she started getting emotional. 

She picked out what she was going to wear for the night and grabbed her phone. There were notifications from Nicole and her therapist. She read Nicole’s message:

Dolls told me you’re going to a party tonight. Do you want me to pick you up or meet you there?

Waverly went back and opened the message from her therapist:

Hi, Waverly. I can do Monday at 3 PM being the soonest. Let me know. Glad to hear from you again!

Waverly texted her back and tossed her phone back onto the bed. She wasn’t sure if Wynonna was driving or getting picked up so she decided to wait on responding to Nicole. Waverly left the room and checked to see if Wynonna was in her room but she must’ve been downstairs. She was too lazy to go and find her so she jumped in the shower and took her time under the hot water. Her mood was pretty shot but the shower helped her a bit. She got out and nearly walked into an already ready Wynonna. 

“Girl. You really went for the gold, huh?” Waverly rolled her eyes.

“Are you getting picked up by Dolls or are you driving?” Wynonna sensed the bitterness and cut the joking.

“I was going to get Dolls to come to pick us up but we can drive if you want. I think Nicole was supposed to work today but she might be off already.” Wynonna checked her phone. It was almost four. 

“You mind if I catch a ride with Nicole?” Waverly could see Wynonna get a little disappointed. 

“Sure. You, uh, you alright?” Waverly nodded and smiled, walking past Wynonna to her room. She called Nicole to see where she was at.

“Hey, Waves.” She could hear the smile in Nicole’s voice and it made her smile.

“Hey, how are you?” Waverly sat down on her bed and dried her hair with her towel. 

“I’m good. How are you?” 

“Better now. I was calling to see if you want to ditch helping set up the party and hang out. Just the two of us.” Nicole laughed. 

“That definitely sounds like a better idea. Want me to pick you up?”

“Yes, please. I just have to do my hair. So, give or take forty minutes?” Waverly brushed her hair while going to the restroom to plug in her straightener and hairdryer. 

“I’ll be there. I’ll call you when I’m outside.” Waverly got off the phone with Nicole and started on her hair. 

Halfway through Waverly doing her hair, Wynonna came to the doorway. 

“I’m going to get going but I wanted to say sorry about earlier. I didn’t mean to sound insensitive.” Waverly turned to her, still waving her hair out with her straightener. 

“I know you didn’t mean it. You don’t have to be sorry. I’m sorry for taking my bad morning out on you.” Waverly pulled the straightener from her hair to give Wynonna her full attention. 

“You’re good. Listen, you don’t have to go to the party. I know you and little red are still getting to know each other and everything. I just miss my sister. We can plan a day to hang out instead.” 

“We are going to go. I just want to spend some time with Nicole.” 

“Cool. Imma head out. Dolls is here and--not to rush you--but I think Haught stuff might be here too.” 

“Quick! Before you go can you show me any flat parts in the back?” Waverly turned around and continued to wave out her hair. Wynonna walked over and pulled out two flat areas.

“Here. Gimme the straightener.” Wynonna started waving out the two areas. “It's been a long time since I’ve done this. You were so much smaller.”

“I know. You’re so old now.” Waverly pursed her lips into a smile to stop from laughing. Wynonna gave a small yank on her hair.

“Hey, now. Remember, I have your hair wrapped in this hair straightener. Plus, you’re not so far behind me. My age just makes me wiser.” Wynonna snorted and handed Waverly the straightener back. “You’re good to go. I’ll catch you later. Let me know if you can’t make it, in case things get too _Haught._ ” She emphasized the “t” in “Haught” and laughed at her own joke. “Oh, come on! That one was good.” Wynonna slapped her hand against the door jamb before making her way out of the homestead. Waverly finished up with a few other spots and turned around in the mirror to make sure the waves were all throughout. She was second-guessing her outfit now and it was way too late to make any changes. She knew it was going to be cold but she hardly ever dressed for the weather anyway. _There is always layering and we will be inside most of the night._

She grabbed her things and decided to pack her laptop and camera last minute. When Waverly finally made it out of the homestead, Wynonna and Dolls were already gone and there was a surprising find. Nicole kicked off from leaning against the motorcycle, helmet in hand. Waverly could feel her stomach flip repeatedly as she looked Nicole up and down. 

“Hi.” Waverly finally got out.

“Hey.” Nicole strode to Waverly; her attention being drawn to Waverly’s bare midriff. Waverly made sure to make a mental note of that for future reference. “You look absolutely stunning.” A blush crept into her cheeks.

“I could say the same about you.” Now it was Nicole’s turn to blush. 

“Any idea about what you want to do?” Nicole asked.

“I was thinking we could watch a movie or something small. We don’t have too much time between now and the party.”

“Sounds good to me. Do you mind if we do it at the house? I can’t drive the motorcycle around all night.” Waverly nodded and was relieved they’d be out of the cold and alone. “We better get going before the next snowfall.” Nicole held out the helmet for Waverly to take. “You’ve been asking me to give you a ride for a while and right now is the most decent time. Are you nervous?” Waverly snapped out of reeling over the mental picture of Nicole against the motorcycle. She would definitely make a mental note of that too. 

“Not at all. I’m more excited than anything. I feel safe with you.” Waverly could see Nicole searching her face; perhaps trying to gauge something. “I trust you.” Nicole smiled and reached down for Waverly’s hand.

“I trust you too.” Nicole squeezed her hand and led the way back to the motorcycle. Nicole grabbed her helmet and Waverly’s backpack got her attention. “Make sure your backpack is tight against you.” Waverly nodded and they mounted the bike. Waverly’s hands cautiously grabbed Nicole’s hips and Nicole looked back. “You might want to grab a little higher.” Nicole took Waverly’s hands and raised her hands underneath her jacket and placed them right below her rib cage. “If you get to feeling uncomfortable you can wrap your arms around me to get closer. If that doesn’t work, just tell me so I can slow down.” Nicole put up the kickstand and planted her foot down. She put her hand over Waverly’s right hand. “You ready?” Waverly shook her head and squeezed Nicole’s waist. 

Nicole took off slow and made sure to watch for any bad spots in the road. “Not so bad, huh?” Waverly was too focused on the passing land and feeling the cold air. She was glad Nicole put her hands underneath her jacket where it was warmer. _Hopefully Nicole has the heater on._ As Nicole increased the speed, Waverly drew her arms across Nicole’s belly. She wished she could lay her head on the redhead’s back. The shorter woman loved being close to her; it always gave her killer butterflies. They made small talk in between stoplights and stop signs. Nothing significant, but Waverly noticed Nicole’s hand would always find hers when they would come to a stop; however brief. She loved that about Nicole. Nicole was always keeping Waverly in mind and they never ceased to gravitate towards each other. 

As always, time was fleeting when it came to being with Nicole. The ride was over far too quickly and was more of a joyride than anything. It wasn’t as exciting as driving with Jeremy, but still exciting nonetheless. Nicole pulled up the driveway and took her helmet off. She dug into her jacket pocket and pulled her house keys out to hand to Waverly. 

“I’ll meet you inside, yeah? These two are for the front door. I won’t be long.” Waverly dismounted the bike and handed Nicole her helmet. When Waverly opened the door she was enveloped in the warmth that made her body slack. As she was taking off her boots a cat’s meow made her yelp and almost lose her balance. _She never said anything about having a cat._

“Hey, there.” Waverly squatted and reached out to the cat to see if they would come to her. The cat sniffed from its spot and cautiously stepped forward. Nicole opened the door and broke their interaction. 

“Oh. I see you’ve met Calamity Jane.” Nicole walked over to Calamity and gave her a good pat. “She’s nice. You can pet her. She won’t bite.” Waverly let Calamity smell her first and with that Calamity rubbed her face along her hand. “See? She likes you already.” Calamity meowed and turned around to head up the stairs. 

“She looks like she keeps to herself. How long have you had her?” Waverly got up and shrugged out of her backpack and heavy jacket. Nicole respectfully watched the unveiling and appreciated not only her outfit but the sight of flexing muscles. It made her brain leave the building and caused her mouth to go dry. 

“I, uhm. . .” Nicole quickly removed her jacket and boots to avoid answering the question she couldn’t even remember was being asked. _Let’s hope the whole night doesn’t go like this._ She had waited too long to respond so she changed the subject and headed to the kitchen. “Calamity was a stray when I found her. I used to leave food out for her at the shop and then she would start appearing on trucks I was working on. I would work on something on the engine and would find her sleeping on top of the transmission. It was too dangerous to leave her at the shop so I took her to the vet to see if she was chipped and nothing so I brought her home and she’s been ruling the house ever since.” Nicole chuckled. She opened the fridge and grabbed two beers before looking at the clock. _We’ve got enough time._ Wanna pregame? I made sure to restock for you.” Nicole winked and held the beer out to Waverly. 

“Thank you.” Waverly tried not to smile too big at the admission of Nicole thinking of her when shopping. “Any recommendations on what to watch?” Waverly put her backpack on the couch and went over to the entertainment center to browse through what was there. 

“Anything you want is fine with me.” Nicole sat on the couch with her elbows on her knees. She kept trying to avert her eyes from bare skin, but, fucking hell, was it not working. 

“Whoa! You have Pride and Prejudice!” An overly delighted Waverly slipped one of the movies out and flipped it over in her hands. “And it’s the 2005 version.”

“Have you seen the other one?” Nicole asked.

“You’re going to judge me, but I haven’t seen the original.” Waverly shrugged her shoulders and Nicole laughed.

“I haven’t seen the original either. I just love Keira Knightley so much that I can’t find it in me to acknowledge the other one.” Waverly nodded and smiled in agreement. “Want to put it on while I go get you a blanket?” Waverly’s smile got bigger. _She already knows._

“Yeah.” Nicole got up and was halfway up the stairs when Waverly spoke up. “I was wondering, actually--we don’t have to, but can we lay down and watch?” A very noticeable blush stained Waverly’s cheeks and Nicole couldn’t help but find it adorable. Waverly had promised herself to try more and put herself out there because she did like Nicole. A whole lot. 

“Of course,” Nicole replied. “I’ll be right back.” Nicole went up the stairs to the linen closet and grabbed a pillow and blanket for them. Waverly put on the movie and went through her backpack to dig out her laptop and camera to set on the coffee table. Nicole put the blanket and pillow on the couch and grabbed two more beers so they didn’t have to get up. “Should I--you?” Nicole just laid down on the couch, making sure to give a generous amount of space while she waited for a nervous Waverly to climb on top and find her place. Nicole could see Waverly fidgeting from her own proposed idea and was about to say something until Waverly sat down on the edge of the couch to unfold the bottom hem of her pants. It gave Nicole a great view of the muscles in Waverly's arms and stomach. _Goddamn._ If the mere suspense of their soon-to-be kiss didn’t kill her, her beauty certainly would. Waverly sat up and pushed her backpack to the floor. Her nerves were coming back although she had already done the hard part. At this point, with the movie already playing, she wasn’t sure how much of it she’d be able to pay attention to with Haught laying with her. She swallowed her jitters and pep talked her way into asking for what she wanted.

“You mind if I lay in the back?” Nicole nodded and attempted to get up but Waverly stopped her with a hand on her thigh. “It’s okay, I’ll just climb over.” Waverly put a knee down between Nicole’s legs and she planted her hand on Nicole’s hip while her other hand grabbed the couch so she could propel herself forward to lay her back against the cushions. 

“Hi,” Nicole said with a smile as a blushing Waverly looked down at her. 

“Hi.” She smiled back. “You mind if I lay on your chest?” Nicole’s lips parted but it took a minute for the words to finally get out. 

“Y-Yeah. Of course.” She stammered with a nervous smile. The taller woman stretched her arm out so Waverly could get situated. Waverly laid her head down on her shoulder and reached her arm over Nicole’s abdomen to rest there. Waverly grabbed the blanket and threw it over them as best as she could. Nicole could feel her own breathing picking up in pace and was thankful Waverly got up for a minute in hopes that she wouldn’t notice. Waverly moved her hand to Nicole’s sternum and lifted her head to look at her.

“Are you comfortable?” Nicole contained her breathing and reached her arm around to place her hand on Waverly’s shoulder. 

“Mhm.” Waverly smiled and laid back down in her original spot. The movie went on and Nicole unconsciously rubbed circles into Waverly's shoulder and deltoid with her fingers. Waverly could hear the beat of Nicole’s heart since she laid down and it hadn’t slowed in the slightest. They laid there together, soaking in each other and occasionally sitting up to take sips of beer. Throughout the movie, there were soft, light touches. The ghostly feeling of fingertips that made Waverly lose her concentration. Then there was the immeasurable amount of comfort that flowed between them that not only surprised Waverly, but also warmed her heart. She never feared whether Nicole would take things too far and cherished the fact that even though Waverly hadn’t set boundaries, Nicole respected her and her body. 

The movie was coming to a close. The scene where Mr. Darcy walks towards Elizabeth in the low-lying fog only to meet face to face in the colors of the sunrise. Waverly shifted but Nicole dared not turn. She was going through her own madness with Waverly’s weight and heat on her and the strokes of her thumb against her ribcage. She was ever thankful for getting those extra beers and used the occasional sitting up to take a swig as a brief time-out to regain herself. Part of her was kicking herself because she was the “experienced one” but she didn’t feel that at all with Waverly. She would never be careless with her and even though she felt like she was dying inside, she would always wait until Waverly was ready. There was no doubt in her mind that Waverly knew what she wanted, when she wanted it, and that was good enough for her. 

The feeling of Nicole’s fingers dancing across Waverly’s shoulder made her simultaneously drowsy and restless. She wanted to be closer to Nicole, even if she already was as close as she could get. Her dream came back to her in small segments. She remembered the feeling of Nicole’s hands roaming everywhere. She barely tilted her head to see Nicole engrossed in the film. Her heart was still beating like she was running a marathon. _Was she waiting too?_ Waverly had to take a step back and realize that it probably wasn’t the right time to get hot and bothered. But, then again, what would be a better time? They’re alone and there are no possible interruptions. It still came down to getting the courage to kiss her. Then there was the sound of Nicole’s heart in her ear. Nicole was nervous. Just as she was. She had to be. 

Waverly moved her leg in between Nicole’s and propped herself up with her hand on her chest. Nicole gave her attention to a heavy-lidded Waverly. 

“Are you alright? Need the bathroom?” She inquired, prepared to get up so Waverly could get out of the confined space. 

“No, I’m okay, thank you. Are you—?” Waverly stopped in her tracks by the feeling of Nicole’s fingers making a trail from her elbow to her shoulder. Before Nicole could respond, Waverly started again, “Your heart is beating really fast and it’s distracting. N-not in a bad—a good kind of distracting.” Waverly let out the breath she was holding and just realized what she said. _What a way to start, Earp._ “I feel like I’m going to explode if I—if I” she stuttered, her anxiety getting the better of her. “I really want to kiss you.” Waverly wished she could catalog the face journey Nicole just had. Nicole gave a small smile and grabbed the hand that was on her chest so she could turn her body to Waverly. 

“I’m sorry it was distracting. You make me nervous; more nervous than I’ve ever been. And,” Nicole let go of her hand and came up to push the veil of Waverly’s hair behind her ear and held her hand there so it wouldn’t fall again. “I’ve dreamt of kissing you since I first met you.” Waverly’s heart sunk. She didn’t have a response to that other than the crazy feelings she was getting in her stomach and the knot in her throat. Her mind could not waiver from the thoughts of Nicole’s hands wandering up her back and across her abdomen. Yet, still, there Nicole lay. Patient. Calm. Collected. Waverly leaned inward, her hand rising upwards to rest on Nicole’s neck. The closer they got, the harder it became to breathe and finally, she was so close she could almost feel Nicole’s lips on hers. 

Waverly opened her eyes to find Nicole’s brows knit together with an obvious struggling to keep her breathing stable. She brought her hand to Nicole’s cheek and rubbed her thumb across to provide comfort before she finally closed the distance. She could feel her heart in her throat and an oncoming wave of chills. She had been waiting for this for a while now and to be there, finally, sent her body into overdrive. She was still nervous to go further but she wanted to feel Nicole’s hands on her or her lips at her neck. _Fuck, I could get used to this._ Waverly grasped the back of Nicole’s neck and drew her in closer, deepening an already electrified kiss. Their breathing grew heavy and their willingness to separate was virtually nonexistent. Waverly ran her tongue along Nicole’s bottom lip before she gave a playful bite that made both of them chuckle. Nicole because _goddamn_ was it sexy and Waverly because she was worried about whether she’d like it or not. Nicole kissed Waverly hard, trying to reinforce the idea that she was definitely not making any bad moves. Waverly swept her tongue over her lips again and Nicole parted her lips to take her in. When their tongues met, Nicole couldn’t help but let out the small moan that formed in the back of her throat. 

She could feel Nicole loosening up little by little and the barely there touches where her hands were hovering. Waverly grabbed her hand and put it on her waist, squeezing and applying pressure to let her know it was okay for her to touch her. Nicole parted from Waverly and took in as much air as she could. Between Waverly’s warm skin, her coiling stomach, and the impressive heat they’d built from their kissing, Nicole was in sensory overload. It might have taken a few seconds longer than she needed but that didn’t stop her. She reached for Waverly’s neck while making sure to keep a stern hand on the shorter woman’s waist and met her lips again. Waverly smiled into the kiss as Nicole pulled her by the waist to bring their bodies together. Nicole’s head was swirling with all of the things she wanted to do to—with Waverly. Waverly’s hand at her neck kept her present and wanting. It was the push that compelled her to let Waverly take what she wanted. Waverly could very much handle her own and somehow make Nicole forget everything. Their kisses were seamless, lips gliding over each other as their tongues effortlessly dove to taste each other. 

Waverly’s defense was falling. All the boundaries she had built were crumbling and she, for once, finally felt free of her sexuality. She pushed her leg through Nicole’s and raised herself till she was over her, their lips staying connected. The change in pace made Nicole gasp and her hands raised only to trail downwards to the small of Waverly’s back. Waverly kept her assault on Nicole’s mouth, both hands clasping either side of her face. Nicole’s fingers pressed into the skin there and thoughtlessly came down to her hips then to the tops of Waverly’s thighs. Fear crept up in Waverly and she automatically grabbed Nicole’s wrists to put them over her head. It was so sudden that it didn’t go unnoticed by Nicole and it was then that a phone rang. Nicole pulled back in search of the location of the noise. Waverly slid her hands off of Nicole’s wrists and onto the couch as she dug her head into the crook of the redhead’s neck. There was a feeling of being ridiculous, but she couldn’t help it. She could feel the shaking in her thighs and the burning in her eyes. It went from this unearthly feeling of contentment to triggering touches that made her feel stupid and inadequate. Before she had the chance to say she was sorry, Nicole spoke out and lifted her upper body, carrying Waverly with her.

“I’m sorry, it might be important.” Nicole reached around the couch to find her phone but didn’t make it in time. She pressed the power button on her phone to check who the caller was and saw the time. 

“I think they’re waiting for us,” Nicole said softly. Waverly composed herself and kissed up Nicole’s neck to her jaw and finally to her lips. Nicole could see the dissociative expression on Waverly’s face. “Are you okay?” She asked, the worry evident by the crease in her forehead.

“I--” Waverly started, holding her emotions back. “I just didn’t want to go so soon.” She partially lied. “I wanted more time with you.” Nicole smiled and wrapped her arms around Waverly’s waist.

“You’ll be with me.” She looked earnestly into Waverly’s eyes. “I hope.” She squeezed her arms around Waverly who couldn’t help but giggle.

“Where else would I want to be?” Waverly pulled her in for a quick kiss. Nicole kept her forehead on Waverly’s, giving her Eskimo kisses as she enjoyed the tail end of their time alone. Waverly sighed and kissed Nicole’s forehead before getting up to put her boots on. Nicole lazily got up and turned off the TV.

After Nicole had dropped off Waverly last night, she had gone back to deal with Jeremy and Dolls. They stayed there at the shop for another two hours so by the time Nicole had gotten home it was nearly six-thirty in the morning. Then, of course, she had work from 7 AM to 3 PM. Granted it was still early in the day for a party but Nicole was starting to feel sluggish from laying down for so long. And, if she were to be really honest, she didn’t care to go to the party. The only reason she decided to go was that Waverly was going and there was no way she was one: going to miss the chance to see her and two: miss the chance to see her dance again. That thought alone was enough for her to cancel any plans she’d had. 

Waverly was going to put back her camera and laptop but figured they had enough time to go through the pictures to see if Nicole had liked any. She opened her laptop and searched through her files to find the folder of all the pictures she had taken with or of Nicole. 

“Nicole.” She called out over the sound of running water. She was rinsing out the beer bottles and pulling the remaining beer from the fridge. 

“One sec.” She dried her hands and grabbed the two cases of beer off the counter to take with them. “Oh, what’s this?” She said as she passed Waverly to leave the cases by the door.

“Remember when we used to go out and take pictures? I put them all together so I could show you. I thought maybe you’d like one enough to have a picture up since you don’t have any.” Nicole sat down next to Waverly and saw the various thumbnails. A lot of them were from the project that Nicole had helped her find locations for but it was also littered with pictures of Nicole. 

“I’ve never been a photogenic person but you do take some very good pictures.” Nicole kissed her temple. “Alright, let’s see what you’ve got.” Waverly started at the beginning. The very first picture she ever took of Nicole was with Wynonna and it was arguably one of her favorites. Nicole on her motorcycle in front of the shop while it was drizzling snow. 

"Whoa. You’ve never shown me that one. That was when I first saw you, huh? Across the field from the shop." Nicole got closer to the screen to see all the details in the picture. 

"Yeah. That day Wynonna had taken me there because it gave a wide shot of the shop and surrounding buildings and you just happened to pull up. I remember being intrigued by you. You looked so cool." Nicole smiled and playfully nudged Waverly's shoulder with her own.

"I'm not cool anymore?" She joked. "It's a good picture. You made me look cool."

"You're still cool. Just a little less cool." Nicole fake gasped and they laughed. Waverly proceeded to go through all the photos of Nicole she had. Waverly always blossomed with happiness at seeing pictures of Nicole that captured the looks of adoration she gave her. She could tell that Nicole would get embarrassed by some of the photos and it was the cutest thing to Waverly. Then, there were the pictures of Nicole with wide smiles trying to block the camera with her hand or turning her face to evade the shot. Waverly already knew by now that she would have to catch Nicole by surprise for every shot she wanted because Nicole would turn away. There were a few times Nicole would give up and let Waverly get what she wanted but it certainly didn't happen often. 

"Hey, I like that one. I forgot we went back to get that." The picture was one of the first ones that Waverly had taken for her project and it was a nice contrast in comparison to the same picture in the daylight. Nicole had convinced her to take the picture of the overlook again at night while they were there enjoying the stars. The picture showed a well lit up Purgatory that was easy on the eyes and one of the nicest pictures she had planned to put in the project. 

"You want this one?" Waverly looked at her with a quizzical brow. 

"Yeah. It reminds me of that day. There are good memories from that day." Nicole laid back and crossed her arms behind her head. Waverly knew what Nicole was talking about and it made her abashed from how nervous she was then. "That was the first day you held my hand. You were so nervous." Nicole grinned. "And cold." Waverly rubbed her face in embarrassment.

"Ugh. I'm always cold." Waverly closed her laptop and curled into Nicole's side. "You still make me nervous." Nicole wrapped her arm around Waverly's shoulder and pulled the younger woman closer to her. "And you don't have to do anything!" Nicole laughed heartily. 

"You're not alone there. Remember the night at Gardener's house?" Waverly nodded. "When I saw you dancing, I was walking down the stairs and I was so entranced by you that I stopped walking and all I could do was look at you. I wanted to introduce myself but my brain kinda shut off and before I knew it, you were out the door." 

"You're a weirdo." Waverly snickered. 

"Says the one who took pictures of me before we met." Nicole shot back and Waverly bounced up off her.

"Hey! To be fair, you got in my picture." Nicole belted out a laugh and wrapped her arms around Waverly. 

"Alright. Alright. Call me what you will but I wasn't the only one staring." A ringtone permeated the room and Waverly got up to turn her phone over. _There she is._ She silenced the call and groaned.

"I think it's time to go before Wynonna sends the search team." Nicole laughed and yawned at the same time. She got up as Waverly was stuffing her laptop and camera in her backpack. Nicole grabbed both of their jackets and boots before returning to the couch. Waverly grabbed her boots and exaggeratedly hung her head. She didn't want to go anymore. She'd much rather stay with Nicole and relax. "Ugh. Do we really have to go?" Nicole stopped tying her boots to watch Waverly's impending tantrum. 

"Honestly, I'm not sure how long I can stay out because I'm exhausted and I know that when Dolls wants to drink, he wants to drink." Nicole rubbed Waverly's back. "If you want, we can go to make an appearance then sneak out, but, I'd really like the chance to see you dance again. I've been looking forward to it all day." Waverly sat up with a sneer.

"I knew you were a weirdo." Nicole rolled her eyes and turned away with a smile. “Are you serious, though?" Nicole stood up to put her jacket on.

"Yeah, ba--Waves." _Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. She definitely heard._ Waverly stayed busy putting her Doc's on, thankfully. "We'll go say 'hi,' stick around for a bit, then make our escape." Nicole went and grabbed her keys to the truck before heading to the front door to lock up. Waverly got up and put her jacket on. She contemplated taking the blanket with her but Nicole always kept blankets in her vehicles so she folded it instead. 

"You don't have to fold it. Just toss it on the couch. I'll take care of it later. I've got a couple of them in the car for you." She said nonchalantly and it made Waverly laugh on the inside from how used to it Nicole was. “Speaking of which, did you want another jacket or anything?”

“No worries. Wynonna is probably going to have me take at least two shots of whiskey when we get there so I don’t think I’ll need any warming up. Should we, like, have a hand signal for when we want to leave?” Nicole laughed.

“I think we will be fine without one.” Nicole bent down to pick up the cases of beer. Waverly slung her backpack over her shoulders and met a drowsy looking Nicole at the rear door. 

“You okay to drive?” She fixed Nicole’s lapel and grabbed one of the cases.

“Always.” She bent forward and kissed Waverly’s forehead.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

House parties at the Gardener’s were always a shitshow. People passed out on the floor, throwing up in the bushes, or simply too drunk to function. It was part of the reason why Waverly didn’t come out. _What’s the fun in all of that,_ she thought. Nicole and Waverly walked hand-in-hand through the crowds of people, keeping an eye out for Dolls and Wynonna. It was the first time they had been in a public space where Waverly knew people while they were holding hands; that is if she didn’t count the interruptions. She hadn’t quite understood it, as she wasn’t thinking about it, but there were a couple of people’s facial expressions that caught her eye. When she finally realized what it was, she was perplexed. What bother was it to her for people she didn’t even talk to? Waverly squeezed Nicole’s hand a little tighter as she walked faster through dancing bodies to the outdoors. To no surprise, Wynonna was right where she had been the last time she was here. Wynonna and Dolls were at the end of a beer pong table, too concentrated on the game to see them coming. Waverly stood idly by so they could deflect the opposing team’s shots, if necessary.

“Hey.” She poked Wynonna in the waist.

“Wave! Captain Haught stuff!” A hyperactive Wynonna nearly yelled. Nicole smiled, waved, and headed over to Dolls. “I didn't think you and Red would make it.” She raised her eyebrows suggestively. “Wanna get in here and play a game?”

“Maybe another time. I think Nicole wants to dance.” Wynonna's face scrunched up and she looked over her shoulder at Nicole.

“Haught? A dancer? I would’ve never guessed.” Nicole narrowed her eyes at Waverly and she just laughed.

“You’d be surprised.” Wynonna dug into her jacket pocket and pulled out a flask to pour shots into the extra cups on the table. Waverly put a hand on her shoulder and told her she was driving. 

“So, things are getting _Haught_ tonight, huh?” Wynonna laughed, pouring too much into one of the cups that of which she kept for herself. Waverly gave a deadpan expression. 

“One won’t hurt. C’mon now.” Wynonna passed the shots around and they all took them in unison. Wynonna collected the cups and poured another shot into each of the three cups. Nicole shook a flat hand to show disinterest and Wynonna gave her a look of disapproval. “You’ve got to get used to me now, Haught. Only one more.” She said, handing one of the cups to Dolls. Nicole pursed her lips and looked to Waverly who gave her a shrug. 

“Alright.” Nicole grabbed the cup and Dolls nudged her with his shoulder, a smile growing on his face. They took their shots and Nicole could feel the burning in her throat and stomach. 

“Hey! Will you hurry up? This is a game, not a reunion!” Pete York yelled from across the table.

“Pete, shut up. It’s not like you’re winning anyway, you douche.” Waverly looked to Nicole and motioned to go back inside with a nod of her head.

“Alright. We’ll be inside.” Wynonna gave them a thumbs up and prepared to make her next shot.

“Dolls is already at a good level. How’s Wynonna?” Nicole spoke within Waverly’s range of hearing.

“Wynonna is Wynonna. She will be fine. It’d take a few bottles of whiskey to knock her down. Ready to dance?” Waverly smirked and grabbed Nicole’s hand.

“Oh, you just think you’re so funny, don’t you?” She gave a squeeze to Waverly’s midriff that made her yelp.

“You aren’t going to dance with me?” Waverly pouted.

“I will, for you. But I can’t say I’ll be any good.” Waverly rose up on her tiptoes to give Nicole a peck on the lips.

“C’mon, I’ll teach you.” Waverly nearly dragged Nicole to the dancefloor from how fast she was walking.

“Do you want a drink?” Nicole asked, feeling that even in her tired state she needed another drink before she thoroughly embarrassed herself. Waverly shook her head, already expecting to be driving Nicole back home. Nicole walked over to the kitchen and grabbed herself a beer. She took three big gulps and turned to head back. The sight of a dancing Waverly stopped her in her tracks. She didn’t know whether she should go and ruin the moment or stay and cherish the little time she had before Waverly caught her. It was hard but she stepped forward and their eyes met about halfway there. Waverly smiled and held her hand out to her. Nicole reached for her hand and Waverly yanked Nicole so hard that the taller woman had to catch her from falling backward as they laughed.

“That was not nearly as sexy as I thought it’d be.” Nicole’s laughter came to an end and she brought her hand to the small of Waverly's back while pressing her lips to her ear. 

“There will never be a time when you’re not sexy” Waverly turned her head to kiss her up neck to her lips. There they stood until Waverly started moving with Nicole with simple footwork. Waverly could feel the tension in Nicole’s body and retracted from her at arm’s length. 

“Have you danced before?” Nicole laughed and took a couple more gulps of her beer. 

“Not really, no. I’ve never been coordinated enough.” Waverly rubbed up and down Nicole’s waist before tugging her back. 

“Try and relax. I can feel how stiff you are.” Waverly giggled. Nicole rolled her shoulders back and let out a sigh to release the tension. “Like that. Then, it’s just back and forth.” Nicole and Waverly swayed together, even though it wasn’t a slow song. Waverly rested her head on Nicole’s shoulder and reached down to intertwine her fingers with Nicole’s free hand. Nicole closed her eyes and rested her cheek on Waverly’s hair, breathing her in. _God, she always smells good. It’s almost intoxicating._ With the lack of sleep, Nicole could feel herself nodding off but she didn’t want the night to end this early. Not to mention, she wanted to be able to watch Waverly dance again. She finished what she had left in the bottle and threw her arm around Waverly’s shoulders. 

Waverly’s mind began to wander to their time on the couch. She already missed kissing her and although there was no reason to be nervous about it anymore, it still made her shy. She remembered seeing Nicole’s face right before the kiss and how her eyes darkened when she straddled her hips. She wanted to be able to see her like that as much as possible. Wanted to feel close to her. To be around her whenever she could. They had been spending a generous amount of time together already, but she wanted the world to know that Nicole was hers. It wasn’t something they talked about but it wasn’t something she could gloss over. Nicole gave her the freedom to do what she wanted or needed at whatever time it was expected to come. There was nothing holding her back now. Wynonna knew now and aside from sorting out all the worries and feelings she had, Waverly felt like she could just be. She didn’t care about what anyone else thought, despite the questionable looks they were getting. She just wanted Nicole. Waverly’s hands slipped up Nicole’s back, drawing patterns on the way up before clasping at the base of her neck. She turned and pressed a long kiss into her neck and Nicole hummed at the sensation. The vibration against her lips made her smile and she drew back to look into tired eyes. _She’s so beautiful,_ she thought. She stood nose to nose with Nicole, her fingers playing with her hair and then Nicole moved to kiss her, almost as if she knew. Nicole flattened her hand on the middle of her back to get her closer and it made the brunettes knees weak. Their kisses were slow, just as their dancing. There was no rush or worries. It was only them. Waverly opened her mouth when a bold Nicole swept her tongue against her lips. She moaned at the feel of their tongues meeting, her hands pulling Nicole closer to feel more of her. It was pure bliss and a distraction that was nearly too great for her to remember what she wanted to say. She slowed their kisses to a stop and resorted to pressing a kiss to her cheek to help catch her breath. 

“I really like kissing you.” She purred. 

“I really like kissing you too,” Nicole said with a smile, her head dipping down with parted lips. An invitation that Waverly teased her back with before leaning back slightly. 

“I’m so lucky to have met you. Being with you has given me a happiness that I couldn’t come close to explaining.” She grazed Nicole’s cheek with the backs of her fingers. “You make me feel things that—'' she paused, realizing that she didn’t want to get into _that._ There was a day specified for this “talk,” but it wasn’t now. “You make me feel like I could do anything.” Tears pricked her eyes but she sucked it up. “I want to be with you.” Nicole looked at her with adoring eyes and a cheesy grin.

“But you are with me, Waves.” She said, not realizing her intent. Waverly pressed their foreheads together and expelled a sigh. 

“But I want to _be with you._ ” Nicole raised her eyebrows in her sudden awareness. 

“Are you asking me out, Waverly Earp?” A small smile formed from which she could not hide. Waverly had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.

“Yes, I—“ without another word, Nicole’s lips were on hers. Waverly pushed her tongue into Nicole’s mouth and Nicole pulled her tighter. The kiss was urgent and frantic. Lips sloppily moving against one another with no intention of ceasing. There was no dancing now, simply both of them consuming each other. She nearly dropped her beer to grab Waverly. Nicole was insatiable, grabbing for whatever she could and Waverly fed into it. Waverly wanted all of her, and she knew it was far too soon. There were too many things that would get in her way but she appreciated it for now. Having Nicole in her arms and being able to feel her hands cautiously moving from waist to hips made her swoon. The pressure was enough to want her everywhere and Waverly wanted her to be, even if there was a heavy hesitation with Nicole’s hands wandering further down south. She feared the comfort and also the hesitation. There was no in-between. Yet, her lips molded to hers so effortlessly. There was no hesitation when it came to kissing Nicole. Perhaps, that is what scared her most. Being able to provide slightly, but not entirely able to deliver. The thoughts encompassed her and despite the need welling in her whole being, she pulled back, eyes open. She could see the frustration in Nicole’s face. It was in equilibrium with the war she was fighting within herself. She wanted to be able to give all of herself to Nicole, unabashedly; without fear, as she felt about kissing her and claiming Nicole in public. She wanted to feel like she’d be something to Nicole; knowing that she might disappoint her. She exhaled a shaky breath, regrettably turning her head away from her, eyes stinging with the next hurdle she would have to overcome. But, Nicole maintained her soft and loveable ways. Hands stilling against her waist and her lips pressing soft, long kisses to her neck. 

“Stay with me tonight,” Nicole whispered into her ear. “No funny business. I just want to hold you.” Waverly held the tears that were begging to fall and dug her face further into the nook of her neck. She didn’t respond automatically, if she had, she’d probably would have fallen to bits. The reminder of Nicole always putting her before herself could literally break her. Where had she come to find someone like Nicole? So adoring and precarious as a lover. 

“You didn’t even get to see me dance tonight.” She said, sniffling. Nicole grimaced, the alcohol finally taking a toll on her already tired state. 

“You just made me your girlfriend.” Her head turned to rub her nose along the length of Waverly's neck. “We’ve got plenty of time for that.” Waverly's grip tightened, trying to keep Nicole to her so she wouldn’t ruin the night. She turned her head to the collar of her Sherpa jacket, her own tears betraying her as they fell. It was a small sentiment, yet it had an unexpected impression on her heart. She wiped her tears on Nicole’s collar and gave it a moment for the redness in her eyes to pass. 

“Let’s go.” Waverly gave her a chaste kiss and intertwined their fingers to bring their linked hands down to their sides. “And, I’m driving.” Waverly put her hand out for the keys and Nicole didn’t argue. They waded through the crowd and out to the car. The truck was much bigger than what she was used to driving considering it had a large box-type compartment in the back. She waited for Nicole to put her seatbelt on and started her way towards the house. It wasn’t much of a drive, but she could see Nicole dozing off in her peripherals. 

Waverly pulled up adjacent to the house and parked, jolting Nicole to her senses. 

“You really didn’t need those shots, did you?” Waverly said, laughing at Nicole’s inability to keep conscious. 

“I didn’t really mind.” She slurred as she pulled the door handle to get out. Waverly met her on the other side of the truck to walk her in. Even in a drunk and drowsy state, Nicole managed to take her boots and jacket off to put them in their right places. Waverly took a little longer, loosening the laces of her boots enough to get them off so she could meet Nicole at the base of the stairs. The redhead took her hand and suavely attempted to take her up the staircase but tripped on the first stair. Waverly held back her laughter and turned on the lights to the staircase. When they reached the top, Nicole led her to her bedroom. 

“Did y’need something to slip into? I know we didn’t plan this.” Nicole turned the light on to go through her dresser. 

“Anything is fine, really.” Nicole came back with a white t-shirt and some joggers. “They probably won’t fit, but they’re the comfiest I’ve got.” If Waverly didn’t know Nicole was tired, she would’ve assumed that she was squinting. “I—uh—the bathrooms over here.” A slumberous Nicole walked over to open the door. 

“Thank you.” Waverly walked through and closed the door behind her, making sure to take more time than usual to change so she wouldn’t walk in on Nicole. When she came out, Nicole was drawing back the linen. It had then occurred to Waverly that although they had not known each other for long, they were to be sleeping with each other. The pace itself didn’t matter as much as the impact of what they were evolving to. Waverly, naturally being someone who doesn’t generally grow this kind of comfortability made her curious as to why it was different. She knew it was all because of how Nicole was—is with her, but she still found it strange. It didn’t feel wrong to her. Like she was doing something out of her comfort zone to make her partner happy. It was the fact that, maybe, there really were no expectations. Nicole never made her feel bad for any of the choices she made. She welcomed everything Waverly gave to her, in the highest regard. She never asked more of Waverly and certainly didn’t want her catering to her needs. It was never about Nicole’s needs. It was simply what she was willing to give and there was never a time Nicole took it for granted. 

“Do y’ need more blankets, ‘cause I could get some.” Nicole was definitely ready for bed and an anxious Waverly ushered her into bed. Nicole deflated into the mattress while Waverly took care to pull the covers up around them. Waverly cuddled into a nearly sleeping Nicole. 

“Y’know.” Nicole drew out. She wrapped her arms around Waverly, pressing a kiss into her hair. “I didn’t think you’d say ‘yes’ about coming over.” Waverly lifted her head to see the expression on Nicole’s face. She was close to passing out, eyes already closed. “But, I’m glad you said ‘yes.’ You make me so happy.” A lazy smile formed and then she was out. Waverly kissed her jaw and turned out the light next to the bed. She placed her head at the crevice of her neck and held her tight. Despite Nicole being asleep, she still couldn’t rid herself of being nervous. Waverly listened to Nicole’s soft breathing and regular heart rate. She laid there for a while, just listening and enjoying being alongside her. It took a moment for her to look up to Nicole as her eyes had not yet adjusted to the darkness but when she finally did, she had to catch her breath. Nicole was radiant, even in her sleep. Her fingers drew lines over her jaw and up to her hairline; pushing the few stray strands out of her face. Nicole’s nose scrunched a little at the motion and Waverly’s heart swelled. She planted a gentle kiss to the corner of her mouth and watched a brief, small smile appear. There was something about that moment that made Waverly wish it could last forever. 

_Oh._

“Oh.” She said in shock.

The realization hit her like a ton of bricks and she moved her head down to rest on her chest. She shook away the sudden emerging thoughts that would lead to endless thinking and thought back to the rest of the day. Laying with Nicole on the couch. Their heated make-out session. And. . .

_She almost called me babe._ She recalled. She involuntarily pulled Nicole a little closer at the thought. Nicole was extraordinary and she was beginning to wonder what she did for her. Another round of negatives came their way and she shunned them. She didn’t ever look forward to therapy but, now, in such a new place in her life, she found herself wanting to try a little harder to find solace. Granted, there was no easy way about it, but she knew that the changes that were coming were definitely what she wanted with Nicole and nobody else. A concept that had scared her because Nicole was different. The kind of different that Waverly never expected to come. It’s not to say it is a bad thing--because it wasn’t--but to be with someone who she had known for so little, with the feelings she was having, was not something that happened with Waverly. She always thought in-depth about her relationships and with Nicole, she didn’t have to. They just fit. There was nothing more she could want.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Waverly woke to the dull sound of a ringtone. Nicole lay there, arm still wrapped around her shoulders, not in the least waking up to the abrupt tone. Waverly carefully moved Nicole’s arm and shifted out of bed to find her phone. To her surprise, it was Gus and not Wynonna. She understood, in a way, because it wasn’t like Waverly to not come home after a long night and also because she would sometimes help Gus with morning chores or breakfast. She managed to pick the phone up right when the tone died and walked out of the room to call Gus so as not to interrupt Nicole’s sleep. Calamity circled around Waverly and meowed to let her presence known, almost purposely trying to blow her cover.

“What was that?” Waverly thought about skirting around the truth but she couldn’t. 

“I met someone.” She whispered too quickly, hoping that Gus didn’t hear. 

“Oh. Darlin’, it’s about time. You come home when you need it. I’ll have some supper waiting for you when you get home.” Waverly cringed inside. It definitely wasn’t the kind of conversation she wanted to have with her aunt and if she were to be honest, not the kind of conversation she would want to delve into with Wynonna. She could already hear Wynonna teasing her. Waverly got off the phone and knelt down to give attention to a needy Calamity. 

“Your mama’s not awake yet, sweetie.” Calamity threw herself on the ground to be rubbed and Waverly didn’t think twice. She ran her hands along her sides and up to her ears. Calamity stretched out her limbs and got back up to return to Nicole’s room. Waverly quietly made her herself downstairs to grab a glass of water. She opened up the many cupboards until she found what she needed and sourced the water from the fridge. She knew damn well Nicole would probably need it and by the time she reached the stairs, a stumbling Nicole stood at the door frame. Waverly scribed the image in her mind of Nicole with one hand on the door frame and her shirt riding up past her defined flexors. 

“I—brought—thought you would need some water.” _Holy hell_ it made her mouth go dry. She made her way to the brunette and took the glass that was offered to her. 

“Always thinkin’ of me,” Nicole said with a smile. She took the drink and sipped on it. “D’you need me to take you home?” Nicole looked unfazed by the late night shots she’d had with Wynonna and was definitely more interested in how cute Waverly looked in the oversized clothing she had given her the night before. It was a sight that brought back the memory of Waverly in her coveralls. _Mmmm._ She came out of her trance. “I’m sorry if—“

“Please, don’t say sorry.” Waverly cut her off and Nicole looked down, biting her cheek. “We’re—“ Waverly’s excitement cut her off. “We are girlfriends now and I’d like to spend the day with _my_ girlfriend.” She confidently emphasized. A smug Nicole set the glass down and met Waverly at the top of the stairs before joining her hands at the base of Waverly’s neck.

“And, what would you like to do today, _girlfriend?_ ” Nicole bent down and took to Waverly’s lips with a kiss that was too quick to be over.

“I’m not picky.” Waverly gave another peck to lust-filled lips. “As long as I’m with you.” Their mouths found each other again. She could feel Nicole’s arms drift down to her waist to pick her up off the last stair to set her at the top of the stairs. 

“I don’t want to bore you.” Nicole nuzzled her nose into Waverly’s hair. Simply breathing her in and feeling her as close as she had wanted. 

“You never bore me. I find all your interests enticing. I hope you know that.” Waverly looked past the door frame and into Nicole’s room to an object she had seemingly missed the night before. “You play guitar?” Nicole pulled her head back to look in the same direction.

“Recreationally.” She dug her head into Waverly’s neck and gave a muffled laugh. “Honestly, I’ve only really learned the songs I like.” Waverly’s interest piqued. They never talked about music, really. Waverly was always worried about asking questions that were out of their element because Nicole kept the conversation on her. 

“Would you play for me?” Waverly looked into Nicole’s dimly lit eyes. Nicole half-laughed and dropped her head back down in embarrassment.

“I can try, but I can’t say I’m the best.” She shook her forehead back and forth on Waverly’s shoulder. “Or even decent.” 

“I don’t care.” Waverly grabbed her face between two hands. “I want to know more about you. I want to know more of what makes you, you.” Her hands cradled Nicole’s cheeks to stretch her smile into a funny facial expression. They both laughed at the action.

“Alright. I warned you, though.” Nicole grabbed one of Waverly’s hands to lead her to the door frame to retrieve her glass before making her way to the acoustic guitar. Nicole’s hands swiped along the strings to the saddle. It had been an eternity since she had picked up her guitar. Mostly because work had picked up and she hadn’t made the time to play. Waverly sat atop the bed in wait for Nicole to start playing. “You’re going to have to bear with me, here,” Nicole said. She played through multiple chords that eerily rang in her ears. Her fingers weren’t calloused or strong enough to hold down a bar chord but she kept going between them anyway. Tweaking the tuning as she played.

“All right. What did you want to hear?” Nicole sat in a chair adjacent to the dresser she had. 

“Anything.” Waverly pulled her knees up and crossed her arms above them. “Whatever you want to play.” Nicole raised her eyebrows and she sucked in a huge breath. She started playing a stream of chords and stopped to hang her head.

“Give me a minute.” Nicole reached over to her dresser and pulled out a capo to strap onto the fifth fret. She tested out the chords with one strum and started the song.

_“Love, pull your sore ribs in.”_ She sang and Waverly sat straight up. She knew the song and in hearing it, brought back nostalgia. She waited for the chorus to sing with her and Nicole almost immediately stopped. “I didn’t know you could sing,” Nicole stated, guitar hanging loose in her hands. 

“I guess I only sing what I like.” Nicole smiled and shook her head. 

“You’re full of surprises, aren’t you?” She started strumming the intro again and Waverly leaned forward to position her elbows mid-thigh, wide-eyed and awestruck. And, so, she began singing again, Waverly eventually fitting her way in. Their voices came together in perfect harmony. Nicole kept her eyes on the neck of the guitar to make sure she was making the right chord changes and Waverly took all of her glory in. Her soft voice. Nimble fingers running back and forth along the fretboard. The little crease between her eyebrows when she would close her eyes while singing. She added all of her mannerisms to mental pictures she would hope to continue to see in the future. They finished the song and Nicole got up to put the guitar in its stand.

“When were you going to tell me about that, huh?” Nicole leaned down with a menacing smile and tickled the shorter woman’s sides till she was laying on her back. A laughing Waverly attempted to defend herself but failed. Nicole had drawn her arms above her head by her wrists while they regained themselves. Nicole was the first to laugh in between breaths. “I don’t remember you being that ticklish either.”

“You have an unfair advantage.” Waverly sidetracked, still trying to catch her breath. She looked from Nicole’s flush face, to their meeting bodies, and back up. Nicole looked at her curiously and Waverly reached up to kiss her. Nicole’s hands went slack around her wrists and Waverly flipped them over to assume a dominant position above her. A chuckle escaped Nicole while Waverly continued her assault on her mouth. Waverly struggled to keep Nicole’s arms above her head and found herself laughing through the kisses till Nicole broke free. “That’s not fair.” She said, overtly trying to pin her hands again. Nicole relaxed her muscles and let Waverly fall forward to bind her wrists again. Nicole rolled her shoulders back into the mattress and relaxed into Waverly’s hold. It was the ultimate, consensual form of submission. Nicole lifted her head to readjust so she could look directly at Waverly; the shorter girl stopped dead in her tracks. There it was. That same look of adoration that seeped out of Nicole. Waverly dipped her head down to give her a proper kiss. _This was what it feels like to be comfortable._ No anxiety or worry. Just innocent, relaxed kisses. Waverly’s grip lessened and her hands intertwined with Nicole’s. Nicole’s lips were soft and encouraging. She didn’t try to escape but instead resorted to rubbing her thumbs over the back of Waverly’s hands. 

“You know,” Nicole said between kisses, “we’re never going to get anything done today if we keep doing this.” She then pulled back instantly. “Not that I’m not enjoying this, ‘cause,” Nicole’s eyes went wide, “wow. But, I had a place in mind that I thought you’d like.” Nicole’s lips traced hers without kissing her. “We can,” she paused to give her a peck on the lips, “go get some food, “ she gave her another peck, “and have a picnic there.” Waverly beamed. 

“Is this an official date?” She said against wandering lips. Nicole couldn’t help but smile. 

“I would say so, yes.” Nicole drank her in again. Watching a closed-eyed Waverly intermittently opening her mouth to once again silence Nicole. The act itself was a temptation too great for her to ignore. Nicole slipped one of her hands from Waverly’s to place on the back of her neck, effectively drawing the shorter girl towards her. Their kisses were lazy and asynchronous and Nicole found she longed for Waverly’s touch. To set her body alight in complete and utter want. She felt something in Waverly’s kisses. Like there was a slight loss of control. Almost as if she wanted to devour Nicole. The feeling in between her legs intensified and she fought the urge to take control herself. There was nothing that was uncommon about how aroused Waverly made her feel, even in the smallest of moments. Especially with the feel of Waverly’s core riding up against her abdomen, like now. Waverly probably hadn’t been aware of it, but there was no way Nicole could not think about it or not feel it. 

Everything felt right but in the same way, mentally, she didn’t feel right. Like there was an obvious barrier. She felt there was some part of Waverly that was holding herself back but she couldn’t put her finger on it. Waverly displayed a fair amount of confidence when she had control of things but when certain touches were made, Waverly halted. She knew it. It wasn’t a secret or something Waverly had to tell her. She knew it, yet, she had been uneasy about bringing it up. Nicole had anticipated Waverly’s unveiling of her past, yet still didn’t want to assume. She couldn’t make a generalization based on what she saw and felt; especially if she was wrong. Nicole had a great respect for Waverly’s comfort level and was rather proud of the younger girl’s journey. She thought Waverly was fiercely bold and as time passed, her confidence--in general--had grown. She remembered laying with Waverly the first night she took her to the overlook. Waverly was a bundle of nerves. Constantly averting Nicole’s gaze and putting a reasonable space between them only to lay down next to her and hold her hand. If there was one thing that Nicole missed, it would be seeing Waverly that nervous. Now that they were getting used to being affectionate with each other, Nicole saw it less and less. 

“And just where are you planning on taking me, Miss Haught?” Waverly turned her kisses down to her collarbones, contemplating pulling her shirt down enough to lick along the crevice. 

“Someplace you’ll want to take your camera. I think you’ll like it.” Nicole nudged her jaw against Waverly’s hair. Waverly raised up onto outstretched arms. 

“I don’t think I could ever be disappointed by you.” There was a long pause as they looked into each other’s eyes. Things with Waverly we’re getting serious and it was something she’d played by ear. She never expected to have Waverly like this. So close and intimate. She truly felt that this was the luckiest she had ever been. Hell, the fact that Waverly even looked her way was a blessing. Waverly traced Nicole’s bottom lip with her thumb then reached down while lifting her chin to press their lips together. Nicole’s hands found Waverly’s waist gently tugged her towards her. Waverly made her insatiable. She couldn’t help the hot mess she became under Waverly’s touch and lips. Nicole squirmed in place and her stomach grumbled at the right moment. 

“Sorry. I haven’t eaten since yesterday morning.” Waverly pulled back, gawking at her. 

“Why haven’t you eaten since yesterday morning?” Waverly’s protective mode activated and Nicole shrugged. 

“I didn’t have time between everything and I was looking forward to seeing you.” 

“Let me cook you something, then.” Waverly got up to get out of the bed. 

“You really don’t have to—“ Nicole started. 

“Please,” Waverly pushed Nicole’s shoulder back down into the mattress, “let me do something for you.” Nicole gave her a skeptical glance.

“I don’t think you realize how much you do for me,” Nicole said earnestly. Waverly searched her face for deviation but she did not falter. How could the brunette emit that same kind of confidence being the one who was biding her time for her own truth? She didn’t have to ask herself as she knew what it was. Nothing could prepare her for what needed to come out but she felt like she needed to say it. Like she was obligated. Another topic to add to her list of things she needed to work on. 

“Well,” Waverly climbed off of Nicole and reached her hand out to lift Nicole into a sitting position, “you can tell me all about it while I cook you breakfast.” She smirked and Nicole, in one swift motion, wrapped her arms around Waverly and stood up so Waverly was a couple of inches from the ground. The shorter girl laughed, fighting her a bit as Nicole’s lips playfully made a hot trail up her throat. She set Waverly back down and swept her lips across her cheek to the outer shell of her ear.

“I ought to be the luckiest person in the world being able to be with you. Being able to kiss and hold you.” Nicole whispered in her ear and a shiver ran down Waverly’s spine at the sultriness of how the line was delivered. _Fuck, we really aren’t going to get anything done today.”_ Waverly pulled herself out of yet another charged interaction with Nicole, lips tingling. She turned her head and left a peck on Nicole’s cheek.

“I think you actually might be the luckiest.” Waverly joked, moving her feet for Calamity to strut between them to circle Nicole’s legs. Nicole snickered and bent down to give attention to a loudly purring ball of fluff. Waverly took a moment to absorb the exchange between Nicole and Calamity. Nicole was gentle as she played and talked to the glorious queen of a cat. How lucky was she to have found somebody with such a soft heart? “I think I have you beat,” Waverly said, turning to go downstairs. 

“Huh?” Nicole turned her attention away from the needy cat.

“I’m the luckiest.” The corner of Waverly’s mouth tipped up and she continued her way downstairs.

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Waverly made Nicole breakfast and they changed out of pajamas to get the day started. It was already midday but not one minute was wasted between them. They couldn’t keep their hands to themselves and often reached out for brief touches when passing each other. An overall idyllic romance. Nicole packed a backpack with water, a black hoodie for Waverly, and necessities for emergencies, just in case. It wasn’t much longer till they were on the road, their hands bound together on Waverly’s lap. Waverly stole glances of Nicole relaxed in her seat. There were moments where the sun would catch her eyes just right and she could see a lighter honey brown in the irises. She was sure she’d never tire from looking at her and appreciating her delicate features.

“We have to walk a bit to get there but it’s worth it.” Nicole pulled their backpacks and a couple of blankets from the back seat. Thankfully it had been sunny for the last three days so most of the snow had reduced to small heaps. Didn’t do much for the cold, but it was a win either way. Nicole thought to grab another blanket to wrap Waverly in for their walk there and back. She got out and grabbed her guitar case from the back seat to strap around her back. She met Waverly on the other side of the truck and didn’t even need to search for her hand.

“Cold?” Nicole brought their linked hands to her lips and kissed the back of Waverly’s hand. 

“Not yet.” Waverly pursed her lips and swiped her nose with the back of her hand. “Where are we going exactly?” 

“You’ll see.” She started walking side-by-side with Waverly to the expanse of pine trees. She pointed to a rock near that was spray-painted with an arrow pointing to the trees. “I’m surprised this one is still here. When I first found the place, I tried to trace it back the best I could and I was fortunate enough to find it again the next time. When I brought Dolls here, we brought some big rocks from around his shop and made a path with them.” Nicole strode forward through the trees with Waverly in tow. She walked at a decent enough pace so she could clear the path of possible tripping hazards. Nicole pointed to another rock and laughed below her breath. Memories of that day setting up the rocks came back to her in pieces and she was reminded of Dolls and her initially getting lost. 

_“I thought you said you knew where this was at?” Dolls was getting frustrated from going in circles with the heavy ass rocks in a backpack._

_“I could’ve sworn it was this way. . .” Nicole stopped walking and looked around. Trees. She didn’t recognize anything, of course._

_“Let it be known that the next time you bring me out here with rocks--”_

_“Oh, stop being such a pussy. You’re not the only one carrying rocks. Besides, those muscles just for show or what?” Nicole threw back. Dolls walked passed her and turned around, still walking backward. Their playful banter had grown over the years and it got particularly bad when they worked together. It turned a lot of heads when people would overhear, but they both got a good laugh out of it._

_“I’m leading now. Should’ve known better than to trust your gay ass with directions.” When Dolls turned back around he walked straight into a tree and stumbled back. Nicole guffawed, hands on her knees to alleviate some of the pain in her back. Dolls wiped his face and set the backpack down on the ground. Nicole walked over to the tree and marked it with a big “X” in red spray paint. Dolls shook his head and threw the backpack back on. “You’re an ass, you know that?”_

Nicole laughed quietly to herself and wondered if she’d be able to find that tree again. They were so far off in comparison to the screwy path her and Dolls had taken but at least it was marked. Nicole scanned the perimeter and took time to savor the smell of pine and the ethereal aura that surrounded them. As they got closer, the sound of rushing water from a small creek came within their hearing. 

“We’re almost there.” Nicole looked back to Waverly who’s attention was seized on the view of the sky through the trees. The redhead could barely see a bit of water as they got closer to the base of the mountain. She was surprised that there was any water running; taking into account the season they were in. The last rock aimed up a much larger and smoother rock that was embedded into the soil. Once at the head, they could see rocks scattered below that would be their stepping stones to get down to the creek. They stood there for a minute, Nicole’s arm reaching around Waverly’s shoulders to pull her against her as they listened to the sounds of nature. 

“What do you think?” Waverly nuzzled her head into Nicole.

“It’s beautiful. How did you find this place?” Nicole rubbed her hand up and down Waverly’s arm.

“By chance. I was looking for some good hiking trails when I heard the water. During the summer, the creek is wider and really nice to get into. I don’t think you want to get in right now,” Nicole grinned, knowing how cold Waverly would be. “But, maybe, we could come back in the summer. I-if you want, of course.” She closed her eyes and pressed her lips together realizing that it was a tad presumptuous of her. _One day I’ll stop embarrassing myself._

“Why wouldn’t I?” Waverly smiled, wrapped herself around Nicole’s front. “I want to do everything with you.” Nicole’s face softened at the profession and her lips turned up into a smile, revealing the dimples that made Waverly weak. “Now, how do we get down?” Nicole grabbed her hand and walked along the rock in search of a lower slope to go down. Waverly followed closely behind, testing the places she was going to plant her feet so she didn’t slip. When they made it down, Nicole walked to an area with a circle of stones further off to the right. She grabbed the extra blankets from her shoulder and spread them out on the floor. Waverly helped by pulling the corners tight. The blankets weren’t exactly big but it was only the two of them. Nicole pulled off the guitar case and laid it down on the edge of the blanket, out of their way. She put her backpack and jacket on top of the canvas case and laid adjacent to it with her hands behind her head and ankles crossed. This place was one of her favorites to go away to and now she got to share it with her favorite person. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath of fresh air. Waverly quietly dug her camera out of her backpack and got into a kneeling position to focus the camera on Nicole. 

“You know, when I said, ‘bring your camera,’ I meant--” The camera clicked and Nicole smiled, not bothering to open her eyes. Waverly snapped another picture and moved to straddle Nicole. Nicole shook her head and covered her face with her hands all the while laughing. “There are so many other things you could be taking pictures of!” 

“But I want more pictures of you.” Waverly tried to pry Nicole’s hands from her face and decided to use a more convincing method. Waverly kissed up Nicole’s chin to her mouth where her hands had made way for her lips. She wasted no time building the tension and slipped her tongue into her mouth. Nicole shifted, wanting to grab the sides of Waverly’s thighs but decided upon utilizing her hands in her unruly wavy, chestnut hair. Waverly bit Nicole’s lip and took in a steep breath. She loved Nicole’s hands in her hair. Or anywhere, really. Her own plan was working against her. Nicole’s hands and lips playing right into her newly overactive libido. Nicole’s tongue wrapped around her’s as she desperately grabbed the back of her neck. Waverly whimpered from the harsh sinking of fingers against the nape of her neck. She was clearly losing sight of what started out as a devious plan. Did she really need those pictures? _Nah._ Waverly set the camera down beside the taller woman and pressed the length of her upper body to Nicole’s. Nicole’s chest burned from the lack of oxygen and Waverly shuddered in reaction to the roughness of her touch. Her heart was beating out of her chest and for the first time, without thinking, she rolled them over to assume dominance. Their lips separated during the flip and Nicole held herself above Waverly, eyebrows turned up into a stupefied expression. Waverly bit her lip, taking deeper breaths to calm herself from how worked up she’d gotten from an authoritative Nicole. She was evidently not opposed to the change in power, if her eyes had anything to say about it. Waverly _exuded_ sexual energy and if Nicole didn’t know any better she would play with the temptation presenting itself so gracefully in front of her.

“God, you’re so sexy.” Nicole let out a heavy sigh, burrowing her face into Waverly’s neck to relinquish the adrenaline that tensed up her whole body. Waverly’s fingers fidgeted with the baby hairs on Nicole’s neck, her lips stretching into a smile against the bare skin there.

“Can I have a picture of you now?” Nicole’s cackling was muffled but it reverberated through her body.

“Only if you play guitar for me.” Nicole placed her elbows down on either side of Waverly’s head. 

“You’ve gotta play for me first before I embarrass myself.” Waverly tilted her head to the side, stopping herself from engaging in another frenzied make out.

“Sure do know how to bargain, don’t you?” Nicole rolled off to the side to pull the guitar from its case. She tuned the strings back to standard and put the capo on the third fret. Nicole played a couple of songs for Waverly and would occasionally laugh from the snaps she could hear. Waverly harmonized with her with the most lovey-dovey eyes Nicole had seen. Truth was, Waverly hadn’t even noticed and she couldn’t help it. Listening to her playing and singing made her feel all kinds of things. There was something so attractive about the most menial tasks Nicole performed but this. This drove her crazy. 

“Stop looking at me like that.” Nicole laughed and stopped playing to aggressively rub her eyes. “You’re distracting me from my craft.”

“Oh, please. You’re doing fine.” 

“C’mere.” Nicole grabbed the guitar by the neck and opened her arms and legs for Waverly to sit between them. She put the guitar in Waverly’s hands for her to get adjusted. “Here.” Nicole took her left hand and positioned her fingers on the strings. “Try strumming.” Waverly down stroked but the strings sounded muted. “Try and hold the strings down harder and strum again.” It sounded better than the initial try. Nicole kept her going. Teaching her basic chords with the casual encouraging brush of her lips wherever she could reach. The lesson lasted longer than Waverly had anticipated but she was glad to be able to sit with Nicole and eat the various snacks they had brought. Before they knew it, the sun was starting to set and it was time for them to take their leave. The ride to the Homestead was filled with longing glances and simple, tender touches. Waverly sighed as Nicole drove up to the Homestead. Not yet ready to end her time with the redhead. 

“I wish we had more time together.” Waverly rested her head on Nicole. 

“I’m not going anywhere, Waves.” Nicole kissed the top of her head and Waverly beamed at the nickname. 

“I love when you call me that.” Waverly untied herself from Nicole to grab her backpack. Waverly pondered over inviting Nicole in but with her still having to come out to Gus she figured that it wasn’t the best time. Nicole already had to be there for Wynonna finding out and she hadn’t an idea of the kind of response to expect from her aunt. In addition, she had _that_ meeting tomorrow and there was still some writing prep she had to do for it to be productive. 

“Call me tomorrow?” Waverly gave her a kiss and was out the door. 

“Of course,” Waverly said, dragging out their goodbyes. Nicole waited till Waverly made it to the front door to leave. She walked through the front door to the heavenly scent of Gus’ cooking. She tried to make it up the stairs before Gus could see her but still got caught. 

“Ho, ho. Thought ya were gonna sneak passed. You oughta sit down and tell me about this fella.” Gus stood at the bottom of the stairs with her hands on her hips. Waverly turned to head back into the kitchen to take a seat. Telling Wynonna was hard but not this hard. Waverly worked around in her brain how to get the words straight while Gus worked around the kitchen. “Do I know this fella?” 

“No. I didn’t even know them till recently.” Waverly skated around the question. Trying to give a bit but not too much in hopes of her giving up.

“Well, I doubt that, darlin’. This town ain’t big enough to not know everybody.” Gus stirred through the contents of a pot on the stove. The assumption of her partner being male was beginning to get under her skin but she swallowed her frustration. Nicole didn’t have to be a man and she knew that. Nicole treated her better, respected her better than any man she had known in her life and that was all that mattered. 

“Her name is Nicole. Nicole Haught.” Waverly said swiftly and softly. The declaration itself wasn’t nerve-wracking but the pause after it was. Gus remained busy but didn’t say anything for what seemed like ages. 

“And, why is Miss Haught not joinin’ us for supper?” Gus put a lid on the pot and walked over to put her hands on the back of a chair. A smile crept up on Waverly and now she was the one that was speechless. 

“I didn’t tell her because I wanted to talk to you about this first.”

“What’s there to talk about? Other than the fact that her butt should be in one of these seats.” Waverly hung her head with a shy smile. 

“I’ve got to crack down on my studying tonight so it wasn’t the best time.”

“I trust she be treatin’ you right. An’ if I don’t meet her now, there ain’t no excuse for next time.” 

“Next time.” Waverly reaches for Gus’ hand across the table. “Promise. I’ve got a lot of work to do for tomorrow.” Gus nodded. 

“Go on. Wynonna’s been hollering for ya all day, that woman.” Gus went back to cooking and Waverly raced up the stairs to her room. She took a deep breath and laughed to herself. Immediate relief. She pulled a notebook from her bookshelf and skimmed through the pages. Here came the part she was dreading all day. She took her backpack, boots, and jacket off. She sat in her chair and began: 

_“I was ten years old when I had my first test of trust. What I didn’t know was the ruining that would follow. . .”_

\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

The school day passed too quickly and Waverly found herself waiting. Shifting and fidgeting with her notebook in her seat with every passing second. Wynonna reached over and held her hand with a pursed smile. She was glad her older sister was there, to be frank. Otherwise, she would have left like she’d done countless times before. Her legs were restless and she kept looking to the door to leave.

“You’re going to be okay, baby girl. Here.” Wynonna pulled a miniature whiskey shot bottle from her jacket. Before Wynonna could hand it over, Waverly snatched it and took it in one gulp. “Hey, whoa. Easy there, tiger.” Wynonna watched Waverly’s knee bounce at an impeccable speed. “Waves, if you’re not ready for this then there will be another day.” Waverly shook her head. 

“It’s fine. I’m fine. It’s just nerves.” The door opened and they stood up simultaneously, hands still clasped together. 

“Waverly, it’s nice to see you again. Come on in and take a seat.” Her therapist stepped aside and gestured for her to enter. Waverly walked forward, their hands falling out of their union. Waverly turned back to Wynonna and the older girl gave her a reassuring smile. It was another beginning of taking charge of things in Waverly’s life. She really wanted this for herself. To feel better. To be better. She sat in one of the couches and let out a shaky breath, clutching the sides of her notebook. There were a lot of things she wanted out of this meeting but there was one other thing she really wanted right now. 

_That shot better kick in._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading! I hope enjoyed it. Until next time!


	6. Finding Light

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! It's been a long while since I've updated and I'm sorry for that. This chapter took a lot out of me and I've rewritten it a ton of times. I've updated the tags for specific trigger warnings but have left the content as ambiguous as possible. Just know that this chapter specifically has trigger warnings and if there are others in the future, I will make sure to write it here in the chapter notes. Thank you all for sticking around. I'll try and get the next chapter out sooner.

Waverly walked out of the room for the second time this week. This meeting had been more intense than the last. More intrusive questions and deliberate attacks on her personality. It was as if she and her therapist didn’t know each other at all. Waverly wasn’t surprised. Before the expanse of time she spent away from therapy, she had purposely been derailing every meeting. Now, everything was hitting her at once. Snide remarks about Waverly’s laughing during serious topics and more crucially, about her way of thinking and coping. It was different. Saying their name out loud for the first time in years. Sat in a room where the air was so thick, she felt she could barely breathe. Her anxiety ran rampant and it nearly consumed her. Her hands splayed flat across her thighs; running up and down to maintain order. 

“What do you remember?” _The feeling of rug burn under her fingertips as the perpetrator dragged her by her ankles to the room._ There were too many memories now. _Sitting there with her older sister and best friend when suddenly she was aggressively getting pushed down._ Nothing was safe anymore. She’d avoided the room. She stayed with Wynonna because it was a safe place but, in truth, there wasn’t a safe space that she had. Never had she felt that kind of helplessness and even if she had been able to remember everything, she’d rather it be the smart of her fingernails baring into carpet and her cries. She cried out. She knew she did. 

“How did that make you feel?” Her therapist asked. A common question that was asked since their in depth conversations. She should have been used to it. It affected her differently every time. Her feelings ranged in between mild and exhaustive. In her own head she would ask, _what the fuck do you think I felt?_ As much as she wanted to say it, she couldn’t. As much as she wanted to lie, she didn’t. Not anymore. She had been doing that enough with her therapist. 

The words that sprouted from her mouth were sour and tinged with an incredible amount of anger. The anger wasn’t something Waverly associated herself with. She had raised herself to avoid all of that. After all, Waverly was the happy one. The most understanding and forgiving. Yet, she couldn’t help that everything that she said had come out of her without care. She was angry. So damn angry about having now been exposed to a past life that she had buried so deep in the back of her mind. In her teenage years, she was convinced that she was able to forgive and forget, lest she remember the acts that had happened. 

But now. Now. Being here. Being here and being under a microscope, made her think. Maybe it wasn’t as forgivable as she had once thought. Could she forgive this person? Could she forget? Her memories had been slipping away for a long time. All the forced forgetting to attempt to live a life where she didn’t constantly feel under siege. What was everything amounting to? Waverly started thinking of everything in a different light. 

“You don’t have to answer. But if you had the chance to say something earlier, had you known it was wrong, would you have?” It was a question that permeated her and resonated. If it was up to the anger she currently felt, then yes. She would have said something, but she didn’t know any better and it didn’t matter for a long time. In her silence lied an unreal amount of shame and in combination with the less than ideal relationship she had with her parents; the line of communication between them was tenuous. 

She’d unconsciously formed a people pleaser personality. It was the way that she avoided conflict and prompted people to assume she hadn’t had her own issues. For that time, those memories didn’t take great form in her life. They stayed in the back of her head, never being brought alight. It’s how she survived. How she managed to get through not only familial issues, but the trauma specific to that experience. Yes, it was avoidant. The majority of it being anger avoidant. Not being able to realize that being angry was a normal feeling and that it was okay. People were allowed to be angry; but not her, she had thought. When her therapist corrected her, it didn’t change her opinion, but she knew that the very little anger she seldom had did have its purpose; she simply chose not to act on it or allow it to be known. The ride home with Wynonna was one example that she let her anger flow and it silenced her sister.

Waverly evaded Wynonna and Gus upon entering the homestead. Her mind kept running circles upon circles. She tried to write for her upcoming meeting, but couldn’t. Times were grim and feeling this way wasn’t something she was used to. She couldn’t think, so, instead, she slept. Waverly’s sleep was interrupted throughout the night like it had been since her first session on Monday. She couldn’t think straight and she couldn’t sleep. She went through her phone and saw a couple of messages from Nicole. Waverly put her phone down. Her hands sifted through her hair. _Their_ name played in a repetitive loop in her mind. An endless stream of the name that haunted her. She pulled herself into a tight ball; fear crept over her skin and seeped into her stomach. She felt sick. She grabbed her knees till her thighs were against her chest.

__

_A young and animated Wynonna was talking as she entered the room. A series of emotions sprawled across her face and body language before she tore through the room to pack punches. Waverly covered herself and sat up to watch the beat down in progress. Wynonna had grabbed him by the throat and took him down with one hand, straddling his torso and pushing his hands away with one hand as she completed her intended blows to his face. There were grunts and panting coming from Wynonna. His legs kicked up but Wynonna didn’t stop. Waverly dressed herself quickly and ran out. She didn’t see Wynonna for a while as she took her opportunity to walk home. When Wynonna showed, there were light traces of blood smeared across her cheek and on her knuckles._

_“Waves!” Wynonna caught up, panting in a cry. “Waverly, baby girl.” Wynonna’s voice lowered into silence. Waverly purposefully walked faster. Wynonna pulled at her arm to bring her round. “Are you okay?” Her voice crackled. Waverly shrugged her off and kept walking. “Waverly!” The demanding shriek stopped her and Wynonna met her face to face. Waverly had already been crying. She was trembling, barely being able to keep a stable pace when walking. Wynonna’s brows were scrunched up and her mouth turned to a frown. How embarrassing it was that someone had to experience that along with her. There was a part of a naïve Waverly that knew what was happening wasn’t right, but there were a lot of things she hadn’t realized were normal in that time of her life._

_“I called for you.” Waverly said, shaking her head. Wynonna visibly shrunk and pain stained the entirety of her. “I called for you every time.” Wavely’s voice was barely above a whisper and Wynonna's face and body fell further._

_“Ev-every time?” Wynonna's voice cracked. Waverly was seething. She ignored the question and walked off. Wynonna stayed behind, her crying heard in the distance._

__

“Why didn’t you tell me?” That was the real question. _Why hadn’t she told Wynonna?_ Sure, she was young, but why hadn’t she? She thought back. Was it her normal reaction of appealing to other people? She never wanted to be in trouble or in the limelight. She never wanted to be at the end of someone’s hand. _Was that enough?_ Being her age now, was it enough to say she was too young to know the difference between right and wrong? Or that her perpetrator guilted her with various excuses. Some of those things were all she had with Wynonna when they were kids. Activities that provided an alternate reality that took her away from a life of abusive, negligent parents and helped her develop a bond with Wynonna. 

Yet, as everything took its course, her respect with Wynonna dimmed more and more. Wynonna was her role model in a family that only seemed to recognize Wynonna's efforts and successes; even if Waverly did better. Waverly's voice seemed so small. When she spoke, her soft voice wasl spoken over and, thus, the meaning reduced to nothing. Her word hadn’t meant much till she got older and Gus started raising them. Once she reached her teenage years, her opinions had overrode Wynonna’s. Wynonna was always getting into some kind of trouble that Gus would have to clean up; by then, Waverly and Wynonna were already strangers to one another.

Day two since her last session. Friday’s were the days that Wynonna always bursted in to tell Waverly that she would be accompanying her to some party. Friday’s were Wynonna's one day of maximum partying since she used the weekend to recover. Little did her big sister know, Waverly had taken on a shift at Shorty’s. She had been distancing herself from Wynonna and Gus; using school, work, and exhaustion as an excuse to get out of their usual suppers together and whatever other activities Wynonna would usually convince her to join in on. 

On the other hand, Waverly had also been avoiding Nicole at length. Her emotions were running high. A constant flow of highs and lows. Her inability to sleep was growing substantially. She’d given up after the first three days and would sit out on the porch of the Homestead and watch the sun come up. She thought of everything. And Nicole. _Nicole._ The way she would smile when the brunette was in her line of vision. From her cocoa eyes to the birthmark that lies under her left eye, to her alluring dimples. Waverly could still remember the feel of Nicole’s arms wrapped tightly around her. And, in the good dreams that graced her, the feeling of the redhead’s kisses that trailed all over. Those kinds of dreams woke her. It left her aching in a contradictory way. She felt a betrayal towards her newfound girlfriend, unlike how she’d felt with others prior.

———————————————-

Nicole woke to another day without a reply from Waverly. She was beginning to get concerned that Waverly was falling away from her in some shape or way. Getting in contact with Waverly nowadays was like pulling teeth and she didn’t know why. Her days grew gloomy and to avoid the incessant nagging in her head, she started working more. She picked up a side job with Dolls to pass the time. It hadn’t been a long time, but it certainly felt like it was. To go from a fullness to emptiness was bleak. Suddenly, Waverly was disappearing from her. Little by little everyday. 

Their conversations became smaller and smaller as the days went by. _Maybe it was too much for her?_ Nicole wondered. _Maybe I was too much?_ Panic grew in her chest. _Maybe she was busy?_ She’d thought about stopping by the bar to visit Waverly during her shifts but felt like she would be imposing. She had gone through all of the things they had done that weekend. Searching. Searching for something that would make sense of it. _What was it?_ She groaned into her pillow, willing herself to get up to get ready for work. 

The days were passing so slowly. With nineteen to twenty-two hour work days, Nicole was getting back into her old schedule with the reminder of small memories she had shared with Waverly. Tidbits of her mannerisms elevated her thoughts. Remembering the slightest of things. Her smile. Her laugh. The tingling on her lips when Waverly would kiss her. The rush of adrenaline when Waverly was flush against her. _Just to have her close._ Nicole’s hands came up to rub her face. What was there to do?

\--------------------------------------------

Waverly hadn’t seen Nicole in nearly two weeks. The topics of conversation during her therapy sessions had reintroduced her anxiety, thus, causing her to seclude herself from people in general. The notebook idea was a productive way to finally break the barriers she had built without her having to actually say it; but to sit there in wait for a response, was equally as stressful as if she had said it herself. Her hands were clammy and she couldn’t find just one thing to focus on. And, just as she had expected, the questions and statements made in response to the writing weren’t any easier, but they made some headway.

Then, there was a brief conversation on Nicole, which, in turn, helped ease her mind until her therapist started asking more questions, that is. She had expected it. Waverly had hid a large portion of her past and with all of it coming out now, there were more questions than anything. She left the meetings feeling emotionally overstimulated and it has lasted till now. All the questions brewed in her head for the last two weeks and it made her worried about being enough, while also not being enough for Nicole. Perhaps there were too many days she had to mull on about it. She wanted to see Nicole, but was constantly worried about everything. Her triggers surfaced like a membrane that formed exquisitely above her skin, like an exoskeleton; and with all those thoughts still fresh in her mind, she envisaged all the possible situations where she would involuntarily push Nicole away. 

Her therapist suggested a two day week instead; bartering it would be a better way to get acquainted so the conversation would flow better. Waverly scoffed at the idea. She could barely get through one session and they wanted her to do two a week. Funnily enough, she still agreed. Now, here she was wiping up the rest of the spilt beer on the bar counter and trying to rid herself of her thoughts by attending to guests. She was tired. Sleepless nights and all the _fucking_ thinking. 

The loss of sleep had begun to affect her mood to the point where she would get snappy with people. Particularly overreaching men at the bar, and, in some cases, Wynonna. Last night after work, she really wanted to go to Nicole’s but talked herself out of it. Nicole had been trying to see her since their weekend together but Waverly felt like she was crumbling inside. She missed the safety of being in Nicole’s arms but thought that would lead to her falling apart. She wasn’t prepared to tell Nicole, yet. _Some things aren’t meant to be vocalized,_ she thought. 

Waverly knew she would have to. One day. There was going to be a time where either Nicole would ask or the defiance of her own actions would need explaining. They had already come upon those times but Nicole never did argue. The memories she has of those moments are of a lust filled Nicole being taken aback or her hands carefully hovering over her body. Even in unawareness, Nicole somehow read her and avoided certain areas. She had assumed it was too much to ask of people in the past, but perhaps people respecting her boundaries was the bare minimum, whether she said something or not. Her head tilted as she poured two glasses. _Was it?_

“Can I get my regular?” Nedley wandered into the bar, sitting in his signature seat. Waverly left to serve him immediately. There had been tension in the air. At least from what Waverly could tell. Mostly because she had been avoiding the conversation that came with Nedley.

“I heard you’ve been with Nicole Haught.” He said as she put his drink down. Waverly froze in place. She tried to come up with something to say but he countered quickly. “You’re too good for all of that.” He took a sip of his beer and Waverly’s face contorted. 

“I don’t think it’s any of your business, really.” She retorted and turned her back to leave.

“You’re more than taking on a loose end.” Waverly looked back with slitted eyes. She didn’t need the provocation as she was already on edge. She thought to spit deplorable words at him but did remember that this was Randy Nedley. A man that always treated her like family since her parents and uncle Curtis passed. 

Waverly could feel the itching beneath her skin. The pettiness threatening to free itself from her throat. She relented. There were enough problems she had to deal with. An argument about Nicole wasn’t one of them. After all, Nicole hadn’t made a terrible impression on her or anybody that she had met that had known Nicole. But, most of all, Nicole was her girlfriend. The one person that realized her intelligence for what it was and didn’t discount her for it. She always asked questions about Waverly’s work and how school was going. She was genuinely curious of _her._ While never failing to remind her of how bright she was. 

Waverly bit her tongue. _I don’t feel like much of a girlfriend._ She rubbed her temples. _If I can’t be honest with Nicole, then why am I with her?_ The question rang through her mind. It was one of the questions her therapist had asked. It really wasn’t a question of trust, merely a question she had repeatedly asked herself since she hadn’t made any effort to see her. Her own head was battling against her. She _wanted_ Nicole. Nothing about that she was unsure about. It was about whether she would stay. _Would she stick around?_ Waverly walked to the back, tears stinging her eyes. She chastised herself for it; trying to pull herself together for the fourth time this week. It weighed heavy on her character. She felt she was stronger than this. Than being here, in Shorty’s, at work, trying to stop herself from crying. Crying always felt like a weakness. 

“Hey, th--” There was a tap on her shoulder and she turned almost automatically.

“Honey, are you okay?” Waverly turned and wiped her eyes with her biceps. 

“Yeah, yeah, I’m okay. Sorry.” Her coworker rubbed at her deltoids and Waverly wriggled out from under her touch out of habit. 

“You’ve got someone waiting for you. They asked for you, specifically.” Waverly shuffled her shirt down. 

“It’s not another one of those weird guys again, right?” Her coworker gave her a small smile before turning and walking back into the corral. Waverly pulled herself together and went back out with a big smile. The same smile turned to fright. Nicole sat at the south side of the bar, a glass of bourbon at her lips, her eyes locked with Nedley’s. Waverly kept walking to attend to her despite the dread rising in her chest. Waverly caught Nicole’s attention mid-stride. 

“Hey.” Nicole said softly, trying not to expose her excitement. Waverly looked to the opposite side of the bar to see a stern looking Nedley. “I hope you don’t mind that I’m here.” 

How could she feel bad about seeing Nicole? It still brought another round of tears. Nicole stood up immediately. “Waves. . .” Nicole stood and reached her hands out and rested them on the counter. “Waverly, are you okay?” It was too much, too soon. Her anxieties flooded back and her body went rigid. She brought the back of her hand to her face. _It’s okay. It’s okay._ She repeated the mantra in her head. By the time she calmed, a more than worried Nicole stood straight up, her attention targeted on Waverly. She could see Nicole looking over her face, trying to grasp what was happening. 

“I’m sorry. It’s been a rough couple of days.” Waverly let her hand fall to the counter. She had greatly missed Nicole, but didn’t realize how much until now. Waverly slid a flat hand against the grain of the bar counter and Nicole’s hand hesitantly covered hers. “I’m happy to see you.” The feeling was in between. She wanted to see Nicole. She loved seeing Nicole. Whether it was the right time was another question. 

“I’m happy to see you too.” Nicole said, pondering the reaction given. “I can go. I just wanted to see you.” Nicole clenched the hand at her side. “I’ve missed you.” Waverly took in the abundance of love emanating from her and she wouldn’t be shy to say that it relieved her in some way. 

“I’ve missed you too. I’m sorry I’ve been distant.” 

“You don’t have to be sorry about anything.” The redhead cut her off. Nicole nervously attempted to pull her hand from Waverly’s but her grasp was strong. “I’m sorry I haven’t been there.” An annoying amount of tears filled the brunette’s eyes. Nicole’s eyes sloped down.

“Please, don’t be. You haven’t done anything wrong.” Nicole bowed her head and shook back and forth. “I’m sorry, I screwed up. I let my emotions overrule what was warranted.” Waverly’s smile turned to a frown with the thought of letting her down. She wanted to tell Nicole everything but the cost of revealing her past jeopardized the safety she felt with her. Who she was. Who she had built herself to be. What if that wasn’t enough? Would she ever be enough? Her frustrations grew at the corners of her eyes and she swiped them away. Could she be good enough for Nicole?

“Can we go?” Waverly rubbed at her eyes with the apex of her arm. Nicole’s face was so soft, like there wasn’t something that Waverly could say to deter her. 

“It’s not the end of your shift. Are you sure?”

“Get me out of here, please.” Nicole pulled her jacket off to spread on Waverly’s shoulders. 

“I’m ready when you are.” Waverly scurried off to the back and changed out of her Shorty’s top. She pushed the shirt into her bag and sat down. Everything hit at once. What would she say? What was she prepared to tell Nicole? What if Nicole didn’t like it? What if it was too much? What if there was nothing left behind? What would there be? _Scraps?_ Waverly dug her head into the heels of her hands. Too many negative thoughts. Too many thoughts overall. Thoughts of letting Nicole down. 

Was she able to lead this kind of conversation that was alien—not only to her—but to her therapist? Where are the boundaries that Waverly had already built? Where were the safe spaces she had thought were there? Waverly combed her hand through her hair and got up from the bench. She hadn’t ever called off sick or left work but now was more of a justified time than any. 

Nicole finished her whiskey and felt eyes on her. She met Nedley’s again for the second time tonight. _What do you want, old man?_ There hadn’t been one good instance of them getting together. She’d known that he hadn’t one good thing to say about her, despite him knowing of her past.

Waverly walked out of the threshold to find Nicole waiting for her at the walkway of the bar. Nicole’s bottom lip was tucked beneath her teeth and she offered her hand to Waverly. Waverly grabbed her hand and followed, heart pounding forcefully in her chest. Nicole led her to the passenger side door, as she usually did, and opened it for her. Nicole flew through the gears of the manual transmission and didn’t think to interrupt Waverly’s thoughts. 

Waverly was turned towards the window as silent sobs rocked her tiny form. Afraid of what was to come next, and, ultimately, afraid of what she and Nicole were to become. Nicole peeked through her peripherals. Citing a far away Waverly that was opposed to even a mere touch. Her hands gripped harder at the wheel and shifter knob. To think there was something that could break Waverly’s spirit like this was enough to incite the fury of a thousand suns.

Nicole pulled up to the house and turned the car off. She sat for a minute, unsure of what to say. 

“Waverly. . .” Nicole started to reach out and retracted her hand automatically once realizing she’d reached out. “Waves?” Waverly turned red-eyed and Nicole’s entire being collapsed. This was a vulnerability that Nicole hadn’t ever seen. One she hadn’t expected to come. Fucking hell, who could? “Waves, are you ready to go inside?” Waverly rubbed her face along her shoulder and opened the door. 

They made their way inside and up the stairs. Nicole gave her some pajamas and Waverly changed. Nicole dressed down to a muscle shirt and briefs and found herself in the sheets before Waverly. Waverly took her time dressing, willing her thoughts to be gone before she’d have to answer any questions. She snuck back into the warmly lit room and into the bed. Nicole had her arm laid out for Waverly’s head to lay on. The heat and feeling of safety brought on by Nicole’s presence lured her in. Her chest stung from all that she was holding back and when Nicole had brought her arm in, effectively drawing Waverly in, she finally fell apart. Her body shook in Nicole’s arms as she cried. Nicole wrapped her tighter in her embrace, eyebrows strung up in worry. She pushed her forehead against Waverly’s hairline, a permeable stress edging it’s way into her chest. Waverly nuzzled further and further into Nicole, her body becoming strapped to the taller woman’s frame. 

Nicole felt helpless. She knew Waverly needed this but in turn she had so many questions. None of which would improve the state Waverly was in; she couldn’t do anything but hold her close and even then, the shakes of the smaller woman’s body made her own eyes well up. She kept her ministrations on Waverly’s bicep and back till she fell limp in her arms. Nicole held her possessively. Her mind was scattered. Where did they lie? More importantly, where did Waverly lie? Hell, it hadn’t been long since Waverly had proposed the question as to whether she would be her girlfriend but, what if she wasn’t ready?

Nicole hadn’t fallen asleep immediately, but when she did, it was as if she was waking up to having just fallen asleep. She would pull Waverly closer, adjust the covers, pull Waverly’s hair back behind her ear, and press a kiss to the crown of her head. After waking up twice, she decided to stay awake. The glow of dawn seeped through her curtains and into the room. Nicole had planned to work with Dolls today, but after last night, that wasn’t an option anymore. Dolls could wait. If she were to be honest, he needed her more than she needed the work. She missed working with Dolls. They had a chemistry when it came to working and they always had a good time together. She reached over to slowly and steadily unwrap Waverly from her to get to her phone. 

_\- Won’t be in today. Something has come up._

Nicole slid the phone under her pillow and carefully resumed her place with Waverly. Waverly didn’t budge when she first slid back underneath her embrace. Shortly after, Waverly gradually and unconsciously moved her limbs over Nicole. The sheer movement stiffened her. Nicole relaxed into her and pulled Waverly nearer. She laid her cheek atop Waverly’s head and shut her eyes. Nicole slowly opened her eyes to the sight of their tangled limbs. The sight itself put a smile on her face. She closed her eyes and rubbed her cheek against Waverly’s hairline. Before their long time apart, she had grown accustomed to the closeness they had built together. It’s all she had been wanting. Having the warmth of Waverly’s body and being bundled up with her. To feel her. Alas, it wasn’t the same since their last date. Things were different, if Waverly’s emotions were anything to go by. Nicole looked at the ceiling before burrowing her nose into silky locks. 

The sun began to show through the curtains and Nicole cleared the tears from her eyes with a movement of her shoulder. She drew letters over Waverly’s back of all the things she wanted to say. _I want you. I like you. I--_ She quieted her whimpers to keep from waking Waverly. There were too many things she had wanted to say. What if she didn’t have the time to? Her other arm came round so she could rest her hand on Waverly’s waist. _How can I help you if I don’t know what’s wrong?_ The thought kept Nicole awake. Her brain configuring multiple simulations of what was going on. What could she do? There was no resolve.

\----------------------------------------------------------

Waverly woke groggy. Her body was still at the sight of her current state; body strewn across long legs on an unfamiliar bedspread. _She came home with Nicole._ It would be uncanny to conclude that her motions were from sleeplike movements. Nicole’s body remained unmoving and Waverly contemplated getting up to leave. By the light that shone through the windows, she had known it was too late in the day to excuse herself without Nicole noticing. She buried her head into Nicole’s idle ribs. Nicole held her breath so that it might not give her away. Problem was, Waverly had already learned the natural rise and fall of Nicole’s chest after their first night together. Waverly still hadn’t the courage to look up and so she feigned sleep while also savoring their proximity. Waverly breathed her in one last time before raising her head, not quite knowing what to say. And, so, she didn’t say anything. Nothing at all. She was tongue tied with a knot in her throat as she watched Nicole’s eyelids start to rise. It had only been a matter of time.

“Hey.” Nicole squeezed out a smile. It was nice to see Waverly. Better than nice, she thought. She looked away from Waverly’s eyes, watching her own hand running up and down the shorter woman’s back to discard any of the thoughts she had last night. Waverly didn’t answer and instead laid back down, crawling back into Nicole. It was instantaneous. Waverly’s mind screamed, _don’t leave me, please._ Nicole leaned into Waverly and held the back of her head with both hands. Her fingers rubbed along her scalp and through unruly hair.

“I’m here, baby.” Nicole said in a hushed manner between gentle kisses. “I’m here.” The endearment softened the rigidness of Waverly’s body enough for her to mold to her partner. Waverly thought of all the things she had wanted to say. Of how much she missed Nicole and how she had wanted to be with her sooner. It all seemed so dumb now to say it aloud considering the space she voluntarily had put between them. Yet, she still hadn’t found the words to explain herself. She had supposed there was no valuable excuse for the time they had spent apart. She hadn’t wanted to give the reasoning behind it. There were too many variables. 

Waverly felt like she had taken two steps forward with Nicole and another ten steps back. She couldn’t count the times she had imagined having Nicole and allowing herself to be vulnerable enough to feel Nicole’s hands on her too. The time that they had spent together was the most carefree she had felt about her sexuality. When together, their space was charged and to simply breathe while feeling Nicole’s searing hands wander over her body was nearly enough for her to submit. That, of course, was miles away now. Now, her inhibitions had skyrocketed and any thought or urge was virtually nonexistent. There was only affection. Soft and agile fingers were calming her and it showed Nicole’s poignancy. Her mind soared with all the things she wished she could tell Nicole. The most important one was clinging to her aching chest. How she was able to keep away from Nicole for this long was beyond belief. She had been plagued with the incessant need to see her. To know how she was doing or what she was up to. Nicole still hadn’t been anything but tender with Waverly. That saddened her the most. She wanted an open line of communication with her because Nicole was too important to not be honest with her. Waverly’s fingers reflexively scrunched up on Nicole’s ribcage. 

Nicole felt the light scratching and her breath hitched. She remained facing the ceiling, ignoring the impulse to look down. Part of her wanted to turn to Waverly and pull her flush against her front. She had missed that the most. That and Waverly’s kisses. Nicole slightly increased the pressure of her fingertips, massaging Waverly’s scalp. She was just as happy to be able to have her like this. 

“Nicole?” Waverly whispered, voice raspy from her extensive crying, as her fingers dug into Nicole’s side. 

“Yes, Waves?”

“Thank you,” Waverly paused to rub her forehead against her side. “For being here.” _For being you._ She completed her thought. Nicole reached down and pressed a long kiss to the top of her head. 

“I’ll always be here for you.” Nicole moved a hand to Waverly’s shoulder. “You know that, right?” Her voice faltered at the end. Her worry was overcoming her and it didn’t unwittingly pass by Waverly. Waverly lifted her head up to look purposefully at Nicole. Tranquility. Or the closest that Waverly could describe. She licked her lips as her eyes travelled from the slight crease in Nicole’s eyebrows to the seam of her lips. Waverly pushed her body up to join their lips. A nearly inaudible moan made its way through Nicole’s throat and she pulled her hands from Waverly in both surprise and embarrassment. Waverly sighed when they disconnected.

“I’m sorry. I’ve been wanting to do that since we were last together.” Nicole’s eyes had stayed shut.

“Don’t ever be sorry about that.” A small chuckle and long exhale came from the taller woman as she laid her head back. The kiss instilled the thought that Waverly did want her and that her being uncertain wasn’t something she considered. _Sweet relief._

Waverly couldn’t drift from the sight of Nicole’s smile. Between the feelings of sadness and happiness, the happiness was winning. God, had she missed that smile and this feeling of comfort. Yes, her mind went back and forth between her sessions and this moment but she relished every last drop of their time. In spite of the hours she had slept, Waverly’s body and mind were still drained from the loss of sleep during the week. How she wished she had the energy to keep this state but, as time went by, she couldn’t fight the heaviness of her tiredness. 

Waverly fell asleep on Nicole for the second time, leaving Nicole to adhere to their kiss. Her body continued to thrum at the recent discovery. Nicole couldn’t find it in her to sleep with all the newfound energy. She slipped out of bed and quietly changed into some of her extra coveralls. She stood at the end of the bed, watching over Waverly. Her mind was too busy with all the questions she had. _Some working in the garage would help._ She stalled. Having Waverly Earp in her bed wasn’t something she thought would happen again so soon. As much as she wanted to lay with her, Nicole needed to busy herself with something. _Anything._ She walked over to Waverly’s side and kissed Waverly’s temple. Nicole walked to the rear door of the house where a needy Calamity joined her.

“Want to come with?” She asked as she scooped Calamity up into her arms. Nicole walked out to the garage and opened the bay doors before she sat her cat down on a bed that was on a clean table next to the engine she was working on. Calamity circled round and laid down. The corner of Nicole’s mouth rose. Calamity Jane was her sidekick in a multitude of ways. Nicole made her way over to her toolbox and retrieved gloves. She pulled out some of the tools she would need and turned on the space heater she had set on the parts table. It was one thing to turn wrenches but a whole nother thing to wrench when it was below thirty degrees. She grazed a hand over the cellophane of the engine block, feeling for any rust or inconsistencies. None. She pulled the cellophane off carefully and wiped away the DW-40 she had sprayed on the deck of the block. The redhead turned on the stereo in the garage and linked her phone to it before thoroughly cleaning the deck and cylinders with brake clean. She was fastidious when it came to reassembly. She made sure to clean every part that was serviceable and always made sure that all of the new parts were within the permissible specifications of use. 

Nicole turned the engine over on the stand to where the engine was upside down. Her fingers glided against the main bearing cap mating surfaces to check for any pebbling in the metal. _Thank goodness._ The last thing she needed was to have to buy a new engine. She wiped at the main bearing saddles, singing along to the music. Nicole pulled all of the new parts out from under the table and started unboxing the bearings. She rolled the new upper bearings into the saddles and placed a piece of plastigage on each of the bearings. She did a double take back to the rack with the reusable parts and instead grabbed a bag of rags. Cold glove clad fingers tore through the bag and retrieved a generous amount of rags to set next to Calamity. Nicole removed the engine blanket off the crankshaft and transferred the part to a table. She wiped down the main bearing journals and set the crankshaft on the newly seated main bearings. She installed the main bearing caps and torqued them to the first specification and turned the crankshaft five complete rotations. Nicole loosened all the bolts and took the main caps off. She lifted the crankshaft out of the saddles and set it back on the rack. She got the gauge legend and compared it to the pieces of now flattened out pieces of plastigage on the bearings. All were within specifications. Nicole sighed in relief. The integrity of the engine was still intact, thankfully. 

Nicole started on reassembly; beginning with the crankshaft, she made sure to take her time inspecting and torquing everything she came into contact with. She pulled another set of boxes out from under the table and cut them open to place the contents on the table. One by one she cleaned the pistons and connecting rods of the rust preventive oil that the parts came prepacked with before grabbing clean engine oil to begin assembly. She installed the piston rings and connecting rods to the pistons. She opened up the vise at the corner of the table and started arranging the rings of the first piston before clamping down the piston installation tool. She whirled around the engine again to where the deck was face up and installed the first piston. She continued the same process with the remaining pistons and torqued everything to specifications. Nicole opened up the boxes of piston cooling jets. Another rotation of the endine and she installed all of the piston cooling jets and torqued them appropriately. Nicole’s body moved with the music, singing along when she wasn’t completely focused. She rolled the engine over again and turned on the air compressor. Nicole pulled out her air line and linked it up to the compressor and also put 

Seeing Calamity in a tight ball reminded her of Waverly sleeping upstairs. As much as she wanted to be beside Waverly, her mind was too full of all the things she had been pushing back with all the extra hours she was doing with work and Dolls. But, now, Waverly was in her bed, alone. Nicole looked over to Calamity and took her gloves off so she could rub her hands over the cat’s ears. 

“We should go, don’t you think?” Her hands scratched behind Calamity's ears. Calamity forced her head into Nicole’s hands. _That’s a yes, I suppose._ She closed the bay doors and scooped up her cat. 

When Nicole got into the room, Waverly was just as she had left her. Nicole opened her arms to let Calamity leap onto the bed to curl into Waverly’s abdomen. Nicole dressed out and slipped back into the sheets, pulling Waverly’s arm over her. Waverly moved closer in her sleep, pushing Calamity against the redhead’s hip. Nicole smiled and kept her hands at the smaller woman’s back. This moment made her rethink why she left in the first place. Her fingers ran circles all over her back and she began to sing, voice barely above a whisper.

_I thought I made it clear as crystal, it doesn’t have to be this hard. But you ain’t good at reading signals, when they come straight from the heart,”_ Nicole paused, keeping her hands moving as she kept her lips against Wavery’s hair, her singing barely above a whisper. “You’ve been thinking, you’ve been thinking, overthinking, you’ve been thinking, babe,” another pause. “Just a little too much. I wish you knew,” Waverly’s head moved up and stopped Nicole’s singing. Her breathing didn’t alter in the least so Nicole kept going. “What I want.” Nicole stopped singing at the feel of fingers digging into her ribs. 

“Mmm.” Waverly hummed out. “I love hearing you sing.” Her back arched in a long stretch, hand sprawled over Nicole’s hourglass figure. 

“I didn’t think you were awake.” Nicole rubbed her face into Waverly’s hair. The smaller woman gave a small huff and smiled as she relaxed back into her lover. 

“I’d hate to miss out on hearing you sing.” Nicole fell silent, her hand keeping up the patterns on Waverly’s back while her other hand reached up to cover the younger woman’s. “I’ve barely woken up. Hope I didn’t miss anything else.” Waverly rubbed her cheek up and down Nicole’s shoulder. She could listen to Nicole sing forever. 

Nicole drew in a heavy breath and continued the song. Waverly listened intently while giving encouraging ministrations to Nicole’s side. Her singing always made the younger woman’s heart calm. She felt weightless in Nicole’s arms, physically and mentally. She wished they could stay like this forever. Just them. Nothing else. As unrealistic as her wish was, there was nothing more she wanted than to forget everything else so there weren’t any issues or hurdles to overcome. However, there was an unavoidable elephant in the room. Was she ready to tell Nicole? After all, this wasn’t a simple situation; not one you could tippy toe over. This fragment of her life comprised a lot of what she had built herself to be. It was integral to her life and some pieces of her personality, even if she didn’t want to admit it. How she had wanted to feel normal. Or her assumed “normal” people usually felt. The reality reminded her of the statistics of women in her same circumstance, and despite the effort she put in to fight it, it didn’t seem to matter. She could be better, she’d thought. Though, she had said that for years. _I could always be better than that._ One of the great arguments she had gotten into with her therapist. Where she found herself thankful for things that other people hadn’t endured and she was still hard on herself for allowing anything to happen. There was a lot of guilt about how events transpired and also that she couldn’t seem to deal with this part of herself. She didn’t want to look at or reflect on these small but large parts of herself. They were the weakest parts of her and lately they just kept pummeling her down. If this was what the road to recovery was, she wasn’t sure she wanted to keep pursuing it. 

Nicole slipped easily into another song while she moved her hand into Waverly’s hair, fingers massaging the brunette’s scalp. Her mind rested easy before becoming riddled with thoughts once more. She kept telling herself, “this is different, it’s Nicole.” Despite the significant differences in her comfort between Nicole and her previous partners, it didn’t change the fact that the fright was still there. She had always said that she wouldn’t let this part of her past and herself rule her; but as she got older, new partners came along and what seemed invisible and out of mind for so long, came back. Out of nowhere. It wasn’t unnatural for her to be careful around men as her father had always taught her and Wynonna that men only ever wanted one thing and to not trust quickly and easily. Suffice to say, that although her father treated her different, she maintained that idea and was proven right nearly every time. However, with Nicole, there was an immeasurable amount of trust with Nicole and she hadn’t encountered situations where she felt overpowered and in danger. She felt safe enough with Nicole that she was able to let loose more than she had ever been before. It’s not hard to forget, she thinks. The aching that travels south when Nicole’s lips are on hers. The fact that she does want Nicole to touch her. God, does she want her to. Her body burns up at the thought of Nicole’s hands on her. It’s a thought that makes her want to unravel and let Nicole take her, but also scares the shit out of her. 

Scares her because she doesn’t want to break down during or make Nicole feel inefficient. Scared because its fucking embarassing enough being so vulnerable already. Waverly sighed into Nicole’s side, pressing her nose between two ribs. It was too early to cry and for any kind of frustration. She had done enough of that lately. Her heart thumped loudly in her chest. Nicole’s fingers wound through variations of pressure along her skull, weaving her hands through her hair intermittently. She put her hands on Nicole’s chest and breathed in her scent. Holy hell was it something that she wanted to venture upon. To feel Nicole’s fingernails raking up her abdomen would surely incinerate anything she was wearing. and she could almost feel Nicole’s fingers probing along the length of her neck to the underside of her breasts and down her taut stomach to very prominent flexors, and, finally, _finally,_ beneath scanty underwear into silky folds--Waverly shook her head. 

“Hey?” Nicole announced, hand reaching down to pull Waverly’s shoulder against her. It didn’t do much to lessen the ache she felt in her body. 

“Yeah, baby?” The word fell from her lips faster than she could stop it. Her lips were stinging from the endearment and it wasn’t something she regretted. Her mind might have lingered but, in retrospect, Nicole could have her whole heart, if she wanted it. She felt open and ready for everything Nicole was willing to offer.

_You’re not ready._ Her thoughts reminded her. The constant push and pull of her insecurities. She hadn’t determined what was right between wrong, even if she could feel it between her legs. And there it was--that feeling--hitting her once again, like a pang. An uncommonly welcomed feeling that resonated throughout her whole being. Was it so wrong if she wanted to give into it? To feel someone elses touch without withdrawing from them? _Fuck, I hope for it._

Waverly made a struggling attempt to rise herself up over Nicole; arms wobbling in the midst of seeing Nicole face to face, mid song.

“I know I’ve been--” Waverly was prematurely cut off by Nicole.

“I missed you.” Nicole licked her lips. “I’ve missed you so much.” She rubbed her eyes to clear them from the sleepiness that she felt.

“I missed you too.” Waverly looked away. “I didn’t mean to--” She took a deep breath. “I didn’t mean to be gone for long. I’m sorry if I made you feel like you were doing something wrong. You’ve been nothing short of amazing and I made a mess of it all.” Nicole reached up to guide Waverly’s face towards her.

“You’re okay. You haven’t done anything wrong. Space is,” Nicole nodded frantically and eyes momentarily going wide, “space is good.” The corner of Waverly’s mouth tipped up at Nicole’s effort at lightness. 

“I need to tell you something.” The words spilled from Waverly’s mouth and as the content of the conversation grew heavy. Nicole searched Waverly’s face but couldn’t find anything other than what was an uncomfortable Waverly. She sat up on Nicole’s hips, the tips of her fingers barely touching the edge of her rib cage. The redhead kept her eyes with Waverly’s, in spite of how hard it was to drift down to warm hands. Nicole bit her lip and rubbed her face into her shoulder to hide a breathy sigh from escaping. Waverly’s thighs tightened and she clenched her teeth. The taller woman’s brow furrowed. 

“I don’t want you to tell me something you aren’t comfortable with saying.” Nicole interrupted with slitted eyes as she lifted herself onto her elbows. Waverly’s hands automatically pulled away. “That’s not how I want you to feel--how I want _us_ to be.” She said, earnestly. With a deep crease in her forehead, Nicole’s hands quivered so close to Waverly’s thighs that the shorter girl could feel it. Waverly didn’t respond because of the pain she felt was being set on her lover. Nicole didn’t deserve this. Nicole didn’t deserve uncertainty. The battles and frustration were still there. She was beginning to get annoyed with her inner dialogue. 

Nicole reached up and wrapped her arms around Waverly. With her ear pressed against the younger girl’s chest, she could hear and feel how powerful her heart was. She could feel her short intakes of breath and it made her wonder if this spectacular woman always felt this way. Within touch, but just out of reach. _Please don’t be sacred with me,_ she thought. The ridge of her brow rubbed against the latter’s collarbone. 

“I just want you.” Nicole tilted her head so she could keep contact with her lover’s. “Remember? At your pace. Nothing more.” Waverly’s hands grasped at the hem of her shirt and she rocked forward and back. 

“You know I want you, right?” Waverly said, her insecurities intensifying.

“Of course,” Nicole sat up to warp her arms around the middle of Waverly’s back. “You know,” Nicole’s hand came up to push the hair out of Waverly’s face. “I haven’t stopped thinking of you.” Nicole’s eyes dropped to her mouth while rubbing circles into the smaller woman’s back. “I couldn’t.” Nicole licked her lips. “You’ve completely embodied me and I wouldn’t have anything less.” A thick silence laid between them. “I don’t know what it is,” Nicole kissed the juncture of her neck. “But there isn’t anything that could,” Waverly dropped her head to look at Nicole. “Make me feel otherwise.” 

“I only want you.” Waverly let out a breathy laugh between sniffles as Nicole wiped a stray tear away.

“I don’t know what I did to deserve you.” Waverly rubbed her eye with the back of her hand. 

“Don’t be silly. You’re Waverly Earp. The kind, generous, strong, talented, and brilliant woman that’s always thinking of others before herself.” Nicole lifted the younger girl’s head by her chin. “I am constantly in awe of the person you are and the fact of the matter is that you deserve everything.” Waverly pressed their foreheads together, her hands wrapping around Nicole’s neck so that she wouldn’t fidget. She sighed. It didn’t make sense. She was going back and forth in her mind, trying to ascertain what she wanted to convey and what part of her history she was comfortable with releasing. There was no doubt that she trusted her, it was a matter of allowing herself to be vulnerable, even if it was in the smallest of ways. Waverly pulled away from Nicole, hands on strong shoulders.

“I’ve been going to therapy.” Nicole listened attentively, her mannerisms unchanged. “That’s why I’ve been away.” Nicole bit her lip and brought one of Waverly’s hands to her lips.

“That’s a big commitment to make. I’m proud of you.” Her voice trembled. “Fuck, I’m so sorry if I’ve Interrupted your healing.” Waverly kissed her then. Hands tangling themselves in Nicole’s hair. Nicole’s hands gripped hard at either side of Waverly’s rib cage, only to quickly pull off of her figure. In turn, Waverly grabbed her hands and intertwined their fingers.

“There are so many things I want to tell you, but I—“ Nicole pulled away from her. 

“You only tell me when you are ready. Remember, one day at a time. And if you ever need your time, I completely understand.” Nicole dragged her nose along Waverly’s cheekbone. “Can you just,” she kissed her cheek, “warn me next time. Time without you was hell.” Nicole let out an exasperated breath and Waverly turned her head to mate their lips again, tears stinging her eyes. Her anxiety lessened and she put everything she had into the kiss. Nicole’s fingers stretched out against Waverly’s tight grip. Waverly deepened the kiss with a slip of her tongue; Nicole lost her balance from the force and fell back onto the bed. A tear fell onto Nicole’s nose and she wiped away the wetness on her cheeks before pulling out of the kiss. “What’s wrong, beautiful?” Waverly shied away, trying to find the right words.

“Do you ever feel worried that there’s a part of you or something that you might say that will make somebody feel differently about you?” Waverly shook her head and covered her face. “God, that sounds so stupid.” 

“Hey, it’s not stupid. I think about it all the time.” Nicole moved her hands from her face and caressed Waverly’s soft, reddened cheeks. “For instance, the whole racing stuff. I was hesitant to say it but,” she shrugged her shoulders, “I trust you, and I like you a lot. I want you to know everything about me as much as I want to know everything about you. When it’s the right time, of course.” Nicole shifted her body to get a better look at Waverly’s face. “And, if I were to be completely honest, there’s nothing that you could say or do that would make me feel any differently about you.” Waverly fell down upon Nicole to nuzzle herself into the crook of her neck. An immediate sense of security released her of all she was feeling. The smooth skin of Nicole’s neck was present at her lips and it now made her wonder why she was so worried in the first place. Tender lips pressed kisses all over. Down to sensitive clavicles and up to a structured jawline. Nicole’s breath caught in her throat once again, in the best way. She had only dreamt of feeling Waverly’s lips on her skin again. Hot and soft, tracing parts of her body that she couldn’t ignore. She could feel Waverly’s light breathing sweeping over the light, wet kisses. It was ecstasy. She closed her eyes and let her body go slack, acknowledging the love Waverly was capable of showing. _How could this woman ever feel like she wasn’t enough?_

“I want to tell you everything, but it’s so hard. I can’t even--” 

“And you don’t have to right now. I just want to spend time with you. I want to take you on dates to my favourite places and cook for you--however bad it may be. There’s no part of you I don’t _want._ ” Nicole scolded herself from how her arousal took over her voice and decided to quickly change the topic. “How do you feel about going somewhere? Are you still tired?” 

“Yes.” Waverly said, grasping Nicole’s jawline and raising herself to look at her. “Let’s go.” Nicole smiled and crashed into her with a hug. 

“There’s another place I think you’ll really like.” Nicole inhaled strongly. Missing the sweet scent of Waverly. She kissed at the smaller woman’s shoulder and Waverly wiggled excitedly in their embrace. Nicole laughed and pulled her as tight as she could. “Fuck, I just love being with you.” 

“I love being with you too.” Waverly turned her head up. “You make me feel so safe.” Nicole’s heart warmed. _Thank goodness._

“Need some clothes?” Nicole sneaked a peak at the pajamas she had given Waverly the night before.

“Yes, please.” They both giggled, foreheads meeting affectionately as if this was something they had always done. The heat drove up between them but neither of them acted on impulse. Nicole was the first to shake herself from the building tension.

“I’ve got something warm for you. Want to shower?” 

“Yeah, especially if we are going to go explore.” Nicole nodded and kissed Waverly before getting out of bed. Waverly got up to meet Nicole to receive the clothes.

“Get ready, ‘cause we’re gonna hike.” Nicole smiled.

\----------------------------------------------------------

Waverly had spent every day with Nicole since they reunited. Days turned to weeks and weeks turned to months. It all seemed so fast with Christmas and the new year now passed. Going here and there; sharing laughs, smiles, and memories with the person she always wanted to be with. Their intimacy was growing, and, for once, it didn’t frighten her. She kept committed to her sessions with her therapist and had made the move to going on her own, without Wynonna. Their meetings didn’t get easier but, at the end, Nicole was always there. To hold her. To make her feel like everything was okay, even if she did cry nearly every time. And, over time, Waverly finally gave up on her thought of crying as a weakness. She hadn’t a way to explain the comfortability she had with Nicole. Nicole was _special._ She was her safe place and she hadn’t had that in a long time. She was always there. Wiping her tears. Threading her fingers through the brunette’s hair and whispering sweet, soft nothings into her ear. Nicole kept taking her places and showing her all of the areas she felt most at home with. Waverly started asking her questions specific to everywhere they went because she wanted to hear all of Nicole’s stories.

“Tell me what this place reminds you of.” Nicole chuckled at the memory and Waverly cuddled further into her girlfriend.

“Dolls and I were arguing at work about physical endurance and we made a bet to go on this hike but when we got here, he said that there was no way I could handle running the whole way up. So, me being how I am, I agreed. Thankfully, I made it and he had to pay out.” Nicole laughed and brought her hand up to rub at Waverly’s forearm. “To be honest, I really thought he would win and it made the victory that much sweeter. I mean, you’ve seen Dolls. The guy works out for a living.” 

“If you really think about it, so do you. I can’t lift half of the things you do everyday. I mean,” Waverly squeezed her bicep to reinforce her statement. “You’ve got some guns there, Haught.”

“Haught? Really?” Nicole said in a playful tone, pulling her into a tighter embrace. “You haven’t called me that in a long time.” Nicole hummed and closed her eyes, allowing herself to absorb the minimal sunlight and cool air. 

“Hey, Nicole.” Waverly shifted in her arms. “You’ve told me so many stories about you and Dolls, what about your family?” The realization came with Nicole’s change in breathing.

“Dolls and the guys are family, per say. My parents were too busy making ends meet for us to have any time together. Working on cars is a decent living but it doesn’t allow for much else, especially during the holidays. That was one thing my father always told me and it’s why I did my apprenticeship for diesel work in high school. I make more than what I need because of the experience I have now, but in my younger days I worked two jobs because my father got cancer and my mother was a stay at home mom.” Nicole squinted at the memory. “There’s a lot to it. I’d moved out pretty young because they didn’t agree with my lifestyle and life choices.” She huffed. The topic hadn’t reemerged in a while and it brought back some bitterness. “Hell, they’d been trying to take care of everything until it got really bad. Then, my mother reached out to tell me, after not letting me know when he first got diagnosed. By the time she had let me know he was stage four, the medical bills were piling up, and they were at risk of losing their house. Fortunately, Dolls had a place for me in the shop and with the little time I had left, I started my own underground work with friends. There was a vast difference in payout between souping up cars and working on diesels. Dolls couldn’t pay me a lot--as he had just started his own shop-- so I left on amicable terms. Working on cars had somehow trumped working on diesels, at that point. So,” Nicole sighed. “I cut my time with my job by about four hours everyday and worked on cars for the rest. I felt bad for leaving Dolls high and dry, so I gave him my weekends. I worked myself into a frenzy to get their bills caught up, while maintaining my own. It was a challenge. Physically, mentally, and emotionally.” Nicole ran her fingers through Waverly’s hair.

“I worked my ass off with no sleep and hardly much to eat.” She ranted. “In his last days, he would hold my hand and talk about all the time he had with me as a kid. In those moments, it felt like I hadn’t come out at all but the silent treatment I got from my mother never faded. When he passed, he said he was sorry for everything and my ailing mother wouldn’t even look at me. She refuses to talk to me to this day. I offered to help with the cost of the bills, but she refused. I knew it wasn’t in her best interest, but she’s still my mother. I took out a loan and paid off the house so she could live comfortably. I haven’t heard from her since my father passed. I’m still tied to their accounts so when I see her fall back, I pay whatever needs to be paid. And, yeah, that’s it.” Waverly’s lips pressed into a thin line and she hugged Nicole as strongly as she could.

“My condolences. I’m sorry you’ve had to go through that. I hope your mom comes around. She’s missing out.” Nicole chuckled.

“It’s part of life. You never know what it’s going to throw at you. I just always hope I can do the best. For both of them. There’s no sense in being angry. Anger doesn’t solve anything.” Waverly agreed but she couldn’t help but feel the least bit angry about how Nicole’s parents had cut her off. It made her angry that they couldn’t see the person their daughter was, but it was their loss. 

“I can’t begin to explain how amazing you are. How big of a heart you have. Your generosity is beyond anything I’ve ever seen. To have been able to meet you and have you the way I do makes me feel like the luckiest person in the world.” Waverly looked up and caressed Nicole’s cheek. “Sometimes I can’t believe you are real because of how perfect you are.” Nicole cradled her hand over Waverly’s. 

“You bring out the best in me.” Nicole pulled her hand to her mouth and kissed it. “I don’t know how to say it but since I saw you, I’ve been undeniably entranced by you. Getting to know you made it concrete. You’ve got a hold on me, Waverly Earp, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.” Waverly eyes burned as she stretched out to kiss Nicole. It was sweet and full of everything Waverly had wanted to say. Here, Nicole was giving her everything. Nicole wore her heart on her sleeve and she had only hoped that she could give the mechanic the same. 

“I hope you know that it’s mutual. I’ve never felt this way before. I’ve spent a lot of my life pushing people away but you make everything so easy. You’re so strong, Nicole. It’s one of the many things that I love about you and there are a lot of other things I could list.” 

“I feel it.” Nicole rubbed their noses together. “You don’t have to say anything. I feel it in the way you want to be with me. How you trust me enough to pick you up after therapy. Or,” her affection was found in the way her nose moved along the side of Waverly’s face, lips plump from their kisses. “The way you kiss me,” she said sultrily, pressing their lips together. “The way you are open with me.” She pecked her again. “I only worry about you. I feel your reciprocation in a multitude of ways.” Their lips met again with fervor. Waverly pushed her tongue into Nicole’s mouth to alleviate the insecurities that she knew were foolish. Her partner slowed the kiss and Waverly gasped as calloused hands slid down her arms. 

“You don’t need to prove anything to me. I don’t need an explanation.” Nicole turned onto her side and cuddled into Waverly. “I sometimes worry that you’re trying to give too much more than you can and I want you to always know that it’s okay.” She threaded her fingers into Waverly’s hair. “You underestimate how giving you are.” Nicole kissed a trail from her lips to her ear where she gently and tentatively nipped at the lobe. “You give me life.” Waverly shivered and her stomach began to stir. She knew her body shouldn’t have reacted that way but, lately, the sensations she received from playful actions by her girlfriend were getting stronger. She chalked it up to how much time they were spending together and the genuine love she held for Nicole. Waverly turned her head, her chin being down a bit against the corner of Nicole’s jaw.

“Come to the homestead to meet Gus tonight.” She whispered. Nicole pulled away, trying to hide a grin. “Gus is a great cook and she really wants to meet you.” 

“Yeah?” Nicole beamed. “I’d like that.” Waverly broke out into a smile and hugged her.

“She’s going to love you.” She felt around their bodies to find her phone and sat up to dial. 

“Hello?” Nicole raised herself on an arm so she could loosely wrap a hand around Waverly’s neck to kiss at her jaw.

“Hi, uhm,” Waverly stopped when she could feel the wetness of Nicole’s tongue. Nicole could hear a voice on the phone going on but her girlfriend remained speechless. The shorter woman could feel the smugness emanating from her and she cleared her throat. “Sorry. Are you making dinner already?” There was a short answer and Nicole sucked a kiss into Waverly’s neck. The tickle made Waverly bring her shoulder up to separate Nicole from her neck as she giggled. 

“No, no. I’m not laughing, sorry. I wanted to make sure that it’s okay to have Nicole over.” Waverly spread her fingers and pushed on Nicole’s face to keep her from getting distracted.

“Now, it’s about time I meet this young lady. Y’all head on over when you’re ready.” Gus ended the call before Waverly could say anything else. 

“You’re such a brat, you know that?” Waverly side-eyed her and pushed the taller woman back down to kiss her. Nicole brought her arms around her lover and purposefully yanked down. 

“You love it.” She said between their laughs and sloppy kisses. Waverly brought her hand up to trace Nicole’s lips. 

“You’re going to get me in so much trouble.” For a second, she felt she might dip her thumb between welcoming lips but instead savored the passion that resided in Nicole’s eyes.

\----------------------------------------------------------

“Ready?” Waverly looked at an unexpectedly nervous Nicole.

“Yeah, yeah. Let’s go.” Nicole pulled the keys from the ignition and gave a reassuring nod to the brunette. They made their way to the front door and Waverly slipped her hand into Nicole’s.

“Is this okay?”

“It’s always okay.” Nicole smiled. In Waverly’s nervousness, she knocked at the door. The door swung open almost immediately.

“Haught shot!” Wynonna yelled, opening her arms in an obtuse angle. “Was wonderin’ when you were goin’ to show your face ‘round here.” She slurred.

“Hi, Wynonna.” Nicole gave out in an elongated, uplifting tone. Waverly drug Nicole in by their linked hands from the sight of a whiskey glass in her hands.

“Where’ve you been, Haught? Waverly gave her sister a stone stare.

“Wynonna, you better not be givin’ our guest any grief!” Gus called out from the kitchen.

“Alright, alright. Make yourself at home.” Wynonna waddled off to the kitchen and into a dining room chair. Waverly led Nicole into the kitchen to meet Gus eye to eye.  
“Why, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Nicole.” Gus turned the knobs at the stove and wiped her hands at her apron to reach a hand out to meet Nicole’s.

“Thank you for the hospitality.” Nicole shook her hand. “ I hope it isn’t too much--” Waverly could see Wynonna mockingly mouthing Nicole’s words.

“No need to thank. There’s plenty of food to go ‘round. It’s a pleasure to finally meet ya.” Gus said sincerely. “Now, it ain’t gonna eat itself.” Gus motioned for them to sit at the table but they both followed, hands no longer intertwined. 

“I can help you—“ they both said in unison. Waverly’s aunt looked at them with a skeptical smile.

“You both go ahead and sit down. There ain’t a thing here I can’t do.” Waverly put her hand at Nicole’s back to bring her back to the table with Wynonna. Gus busied herself with serving everybody and Wynonna served herself another double shot of whiskey. Eyebrow raised, Wynonna looked back and forth between Waverly and Nicole with the whiskey bottle in hand.

“No, thank you.” Nicole said and Waverly shook her head.

“Been thinkin’ of you, Haught pocket.” Wynonna set the bottle down and leaned back into her seat. “Haven’t been around anywhere ‘cept with my sister. Whatcha doin’ nowadays?” Nicole nervously rubbed at her jawline.

“Working, mainly. We’ve got a lot of work right now and the trucks haven’t stopped coming. It’s rather busy for this season. How about you?” 

“Only school and hanging out with this ray of sunshine.” Wynonna rubbed at the back of Waverly’s head, accidentally pushing her forward a bit. Waverly shook out of it and reclined so Gus could set her plate down. Gus set the rest of the table and finally sat down.

“What do ya do for work, Nicole?” Gus queried, bringing Nicole out of her conversation with Wynonna. 

“I’m a mechanic, of sorts. Been doing it for a while now.” Nicole took a bite of the food.

“She works on nearly everything.” Waverly supported her.

“Well, not ev--” Nicole interjected and Gus cut her off.

“Do ya? Wynonna’s truck has been havin’ some issues. Mind takin’ a look?” 

“No problem. I don’t have any of my tools with me tonight but I can come back and see what’s going on with it.” 

“That’s very nice of you, darlin’. We’d all appreciate it.” They shared a smile. “How are classes, Waverly?”

“They are good. I finished presenting my final project that both Wy and Nicole helped with and I think I did pretty well.” Wynonna cocked her head towards Nicole. 

“Is that so? It’s so good to hear both of y’all workin’ together.” Wynonna rolled her eyes.

“Our girl, Haughtstuff, is far better than anyone we’ve met before.” 

“Oh, hush, Wynonna!” Gus exclaimed. Waverly in her seat as the rest of the evening continued.

Waverly made sure to keep a silent, visual communication with Nicole. That being her only way to convey her affection without reaching over to touch her. The conversation was easy. Common questions of work. Nicole shared pictures of what she had worked on and what she was currently working on. Waverly chipped in occasionally and Wynonna sipped at her drink, watching the couple. She observed the moments between her sister and her girlfriend. Nicole and Gus were deep in conversation but she continuously flashed Waverly shy smiles. Waverly’s eyes didn’t leave her partner’s face, appreciating all of her mannerisms and the nuances of her facial expressions. She zoned in and out, thinking of all the things she loved about Nicole. When Nicole would turn to her, she melted every time. Wynonna’s attention shifted between the two overly affectionate and lovestruck women and it gave her indigestion, but it made her think of their relationship in a way she hadn’t before. It wasn’t a likeness that Waverly had had with others. Waverly didn’t like her. There was love in the making and despite her drunken state, she could still see it. When they finally cleared their plates, Wynonna sunk in her seat and nudged Waverly with her foot. She raised her eyebrow and nodded towards the front door before getting up. Nicole didn’t show any opposition and so Waverly followed her sister out the door.

“Come sit.” Wynonna gestured to the seat next to her on the porch.

“What’s wrong?” Waverly shoved her hands into her pockets from the chilliness. 

“You love her don’t you?” She stated. Waverly’s eyes became saucers.

“I don’t even know--” She started to explain.

“Oh, come on!” Wynonna put her head back against the chair with her eyes closed. “It’s all over your face. You and Nicole have been giving sex eyes all night.”

“Not sex eyes--”

“Stop, Waverly. You know what I mean.” Waverly crossed her legs and fidgeted with her hands. “Exactly.” Wynonna handed her glass to Waverly. The younger girl grabbed it and took a drink. “Are you okay?”

“Yes. I mean, it’s _different._ Nicole is the best person I’ve ever met and the way she treats me makes me feel seen.” Waverly downed the whiskey and Wynonna’s eyes went wide. She pulled the glass from her hands and grabbed the flask from her boot to refill.

“Allova sudden you’re a drinker.” Wynonna leaned forward to set the whiskey bottle down on the ground. “Look. There’s no judgment here. You’ve got yourself some top shelf stuff there.” Waverly rolled her eyes. “What makes it different? The fact she’s a woman, or somethin’ else?” Waverly drew in a deep breath.

“It’s never been about whether Nicole is a woman. I did think about it for a little bit, but, at the end of the day, she makes me happy. She allows me to feel like,” her hands came up to emphasize something she couldn’t quite explain. “Like me. I can be me without feeling self-conscious. The me that wants to go out and see and learn different things. I’ve been holding myself back all my life because I’m always worried about whether it’s _safe.”_ She let out a heavy breath. “Spending time in therapy and being with Nicole has shown me that I’ve been scared about a lot of things. Too many things.” Wynonna tried to intercept and Waverly gave her the hand. “No. I’ve been scared of everything. Wondering how I was going to navigate through friendships and relationships because I think about scenarios that will probably never happen. But, I feel safe with Nicole. I can’t--”

“That’s what I’m talking about.” Wynonna grabbed her shoulder. “I’m not making a negative comment about you or your girlfriend, I’m just saying that I see it and it’s not just you, either. You might not see it or want to admit it to me but you’re different with her. ” Waverly kept her vision trained on her incessantly moving hands. “She loves you too, Waves. She hasn’t made it a secret.”

Waverly sat in her own thoughts. Cautiously sifting through her own feelings and trying to make sense of her sister’s words. Love seemed too quick for what they were experiencing. Waverly thought of Nicole’s kindness, her appreciation, her fondness, and all the things that made Nicole, Nicole. Memories of Nicole flourished in her mind.

“I do love her.” Waverly stated matter of factly as the realization hit. She had thought about it before but saying it aloud made it more real. “I love her.”

“So, why do you think she doesn’t feel the same?” Wynonna shook her head and reached out to get the glass from Waverly. “Especially this girl. She’s laid it out for you.” Gus opened the front door of the homestead and stepped out.

“Now, I hope y’all aren’t doin’ our guest the disrespect of disappearin’ on her.” Waverly walked into the homestead and Wynonna went to sip at an empty glass. “Think ya had enough?” Wynonna frowned and sighed. Upon reentering, there was the sight of Waverly and Nicole locked in a chaste kiss. Wynonna licked her lips and hung her head to hide her smile. Gus put her hand on Wynonna’s shoulder and whispered to her.

“Waitin’ on you to bring someone home one day.” Gus walked past her and set her coat on a hook near the door. “Nicole, darlin’, it’s been a pleasure to meet ya but I gotta open the bar early. Come over whenever you’d like. I’d love to see ya again and you’re always welcome here.”

“Thank you for your hospitality and the invitation.” Nicole got up to shake hands with Gus but the latter brought her into a hug instead. 

“No need for thankin’. You’ve done enough for my Waverly.” Gus pulled away and put a hand at her cheek before heading upstairs. 

“Hey, Haught.” Nicole turned round. “Was thinking of building a fire tonight. Kinda something Waverly and I do from time to time. Up for it?”

“Yeah, sure.” Nicole said in an elevated voice.

\----------------------------------------------------------

There wasn’t enough firewood to build a fire so Wynonna and Nicole went out to get more.

“You used to this, Haughtstuff?” They walked over the brush and broken twigs. 

“More or less. I’ve got a decent amount of experience with a hatchet.”

“Must be a lesbian thing.” Nicole laughed.

“I would’ve done better with a chainsaw. The fire won’t last long on branches. Anyway, swinging a hatchet requires the approval of the lesbian college.” She said sarcastically.

“A college? I didn’t know that you all needed so much training.”

“Oh yeah. You’ve got to take rigorous classes and go through a thorough assessment. In most cases, people are denied.”

“What happens when you get approved?”

“You get your degree in whichever lesbian specialty you want then go on to graduate school. Provided you get approved for that also.”

“You must have a lot of degrees because you seem like a very professional gay.” Nicole found a good place to start cutting.

“You have no idea.” She stopped walking and gave Wynonna a smug grin. “There’s also a special course for using a hatchet.” Nicole started cutting at low tree branches and Wynonna backed out of the way of falling branches.

“Alright, alright. No need to show off, you’ve proven yourself.” Wynonna gave her the scouts honor hand sign as Nicole jumped up to hack at a particularly high branch. “You don’t have to exaggerate.” They both laughed and the redhead finished cutting off the branch.

“You could help, y’know.” Wynonna struck the hatchet into the ground and sat down.

“I don’t want to embarrass you and that lesbian lumberjack degree you got.” Nicole rubbed at her forehead and let out a muffled laugh. She continued onto another tree and cut the reasonably low branches off. Wynonna followed behind, rounding up stacks of the branches. 

“I think that’s enough.” They gathered the wood and started back. It had been quiet and since Wynonna had finally gotten Nicole alone, she felt the need to stir the pot to see just how dedicated she was to her sister.

“So, what’s your deal with my sister?” Wynonna said between the heavy breaths required to trek through heavy brush.

“What?” The question caught her off guard. “Listen, Wynonna,” Nicole stretched out her legs to avoid a fallen tree trunk. “Your sister is my main priority just as she is your’s.”

“I’m not putting your feelings down but, I’m curious. Waverly is sensitive and needs someone who won’t take advantage of that.” Nicole stopped and glanced back at Wynonna.

“Perhaps you misunderstand me when I say I have no intention of hurting her. _And,_ I think you underestimate the emotional strength she has.” Wynonna could see Nicole was going into protective mode by the change in her tone and body language. _Interesting._

“You haven’t known her for as long as I have.” Nicole’s face scrunched up and irritation began to stir within her.

“Waverly doesn’t exhibit weakness. If anything, she has always shown nothing but strength with me. She knows what she wants and what she doesn’t. Don’t mistake me for other people.” Wynonna put the wood down and held up her hands in defense.

“I’m only making sure that you know that she’s special. Waverly gives a lot for what she’s given in return. I don’t want to see her go through another heartache.” Nicole set her own bundle of wood down.

“And you think I don’t know? What are you getting at?” 

“Nothing at all. I’m making absolutely sure that you are not going to hurt my sister. Treat it that way. I love my sister. I love Gus and what she’s done for us but I’ve had my whole life with Waverly. She’s the most important, over anything.” 

“I wouldn’t expect anything less. Just don’t say I have the intention of hurting your sister. I can’t guarantee that I won’t ever hurt her, but I will always do everything with her in mind.” Nicole bit her lip. “I would never do you or your sister the disrespect of considering her less; I’d appreciate it if you did the same.” Wynonna raised her eyebrows and shoulders prior to lifting the chopped wood.

“That’s all I wanted to hear.” Wynonna walked ahead. “Y’know, for a mechanic, you sure are soft.” Nicole sucked in the cold air and picked up her wood with a confused look.

\----------------------------------------------------------

“Where have you been?” Waverly rushed to Nicole to cup her cheeks. 

“Nicole was giving me the down low on gay studies. Honestly, it’s too much for something so easy.” Nicole turned her head to side eye Wynonna.

“I didn’t see you cutting any wood.”

“She wouldn’t let me! Said I didn’t have the qualifications.” Wynonna shook her head and Nicole laughed. 

“I do like your sister; however annoying she may be.”

“Aye! Your girlfriend has a complex. She thinks she’s ‘Haught shit.’” She let the wood drop from her hands to make air quotations. 

“And you don’t?” Waverly said, jokingly. 

“I do, but at least I’m modest about it.” Wynonna said and her sister laughed.

“You? Modest?” Nicole chuckled and held in her laugh once she saw Wynonna’s astonished face.

“Do you see how rude your girlfriend is?” 

“I think she’s right, to be honest.” Waverly and NIcole sat down alongside each other. 

“Oh, no. It’s happened. You’ve gone to the dark side. She’s bewitched you. Redheads do that.” Wynonna snorted and kicked the cut up branches to the fire pit. Nicole stacked the branches over existing pieces of wood as Waverly and Wynonna took their seats. 

“If I didn’t know any better, Red, I’d have thought you’d been a boy scout unless that was in the lumberjack training too.” Nicole rolled her eyes and lit the fire. 

“What?” Nicole sat down next to Waverly and wrapped her arm over the shorter girl’s shoulders. 

“Don’t mind her. She’s only giving me a hard time because I’m better with my hands.” Wynonna lurched forward in her chair to face Nicole.

“Psht. I could have made that fire _way_ faster.” Nicole and Wynonna bickered back and forth and Waverly sat in the middle, trying not to laugh by how competitive they were both being. _As long as they get along. . ._ Silence befell them and Wynonna opened the whiskey bottle to take a sip and passed it to the couple. They both took a swig and passed it back. It was nice, Waverly thought. Being wrapped up in Nicole next to the fire brought her solace. Part of her wished they were in bed together with Nicole’s hands rubbing random patterns into her back while they shared soft kisses. She missed kissing her already and Nicole was literally adjacent to her. She turned and dragged her bottom lip along her jugular and kissed there. Nicole bit her lip as a tingle made it down to her stomach and further south. Waverly could feel Nicole’s grip harden and it gave her the confidence to press an open mouthed kiss a little lower than the last. Nicole blew out when she felt the warmth of Waverly’s tongue and she struggled to keep it together.

“Waves.” Nicole barely made out her name from how dry her mouth was. Wynonna heard the odd change in Nicole’s voice and decided to keep her eyes on the fire. Waverly smiled into the kiss, lightly sucking the sensitive skin in hopes of leaving a mark. “I, uhm, it’s getting late.” Nicole cleared her throat and Wynonna still didn’t bother to look in their direction.

“You’re right.” Wynonna got up and Waverly kissed her once more. “Before things get any weirder I’m gonna head in for the night.” Nicole turned beet red. 

“Night, Wy.” Waverly squeezed hard at the taller woman’s ribcage. She waited till Wynonna was a safe distance away so she could say something. “I’ve been waiting for her to go to bed.” Waverly pulled Nicole into a kiss, keeping her hand at the back of her neck. “I thought about kissing you all night.” She said between kisses. Nicole leaned Waverly back, hands grabbing at her hips to steady her. Waverly pulled Nicole’s bottom lip into her mouth and bit down. Nicole whimpered as the brunette ran her tongue over the offended area and darted her tongue back into Nicoe’s mouth. Waverly melted in Nicole’s hands as they wandered up and down her back. The intensity of their desperate kisses burning hotter than the fire in front of them. Part of her wanted Nicole to devour her and let her do what she wanted. Another part of her kept her tethered to what she knew she was capable of. But, god, did she want Nicole. She could feel the insistence in her belly. Waverly’s hands made fists in Nicole’s shirt and pulled her towards her. Nicole’s hands fumbled to find the chair.

“Hey,” she cupped Waverly’s face with her right hand and the younger girl turned to kiss her palm. “Ugh, fuck.” Nicole brushed her thumb against her bottom lip and her lips parted. She got lost in lust filled eyes and bruised lips. “I love kissing you.” She tipped Waverly’s chin down and met her lips again. Control was too easily lost when it came to intimate acts with Waverly. They pushed the boundaries a little more every time and she was starting to wonder if she should stop them or let the passion die down on its own. Surely Waverly would stop them if it was too far, right? Her heart hammered in her chest as she withdrew. “I’m sorry.” Nicole tried to catch her breath.

“Why are you sorry?” Waverly relaxed her hands and slid them over prominent collarbones.

“You just make me feel so much at once that I get overwhelmed.” 

“You don’t have to feel sorry about that, silly”

“Remember the talk we had about you letting me know if you’re going to go MIA?” Waverly nodded, not sure of where the conversation was going. “I need you to promise me that if I ever make you feel uncomfortable or things get too much when we are intimate, that you’ll tell me. It’s important to me that we talk about these things.” 

“Things have gotten pretty heavy, haven’t they?” She chuckled. “I promise.” Her fingers stroked the muscles in the redhead's neck.

“Good, now get over here.” She smiled and pulled a laughing Waverly into her lap. “And don’t think I forgot about that hickey you gave me with your sister sitting right there.”

“You can’t even see it and she didn’t notice!” Waverly squirmed as Nicole tickled her. “It’s only fair after you did it to me first.” Nicole bellowed out a laugh.

“Let me see.” She pushed her hair back to see the damage and made a face. 

“Oh my gosh! Is it big?” 

“I got you pretty bad but your hair covers it. I can fix it. Got a tube of chapstick?” Nicole tried not to laugh. 

“Not right now. Ugh. How embarrassing.” Nicole kissed her forehead.

“I’m sure if Wynonna would’ve seen it, she would’ve said something. I think you’re safe.” 

“I’m still going to get you back, I don’t care what you have to say--” Nicole kissed her firmly.

“You can do whatever you’d like.” She said earnestly and it made Waverly unconsciously squeeze her legs together. She chose not to say anything and instead kissed her gently and slowly. The fire was starting to die out and their combined heat soon wasn’t enough. 

“Are you staying here tonight or do you want to come home with me?” The redhead whispered against Waverly’s lips.

“I want to go with you.” She tilted her head to capture Nicole’s lips but she retracted out of reach. Waverly giggled and dove in and kissed her before she could pull back.

“I was hoping you’d say that. Let’s get out of here. For the first time I’m colder than you.” They got up and while Waverly went to go get her things, Nicole put out the fire with handfuls of snow.

\----------------------------------------------------------

Waverly changed into her pajamas and slipped into bed. Nicole was almost asleep, having been worn out from all the heavy jobs she had done the last couple of days. 

“Are you sleeping already?” She poked her cheek. “No cuddles today?” Waverly pouted.

“Aw, don’t be mad, baby. I’m sorry. C’mere.” Eyes closed, Nicole reached out with one arm and it made the younger woman laugh. Waverly turned the light out and embraced her lover’s muscular build. Nicole’s fingers drew lazy circles into the brunette’s back until she couldn’t anymore. Just like that, Nicole was asleep

“My tired baby.” She ran her fingers through Nicole’s red locks and as with every time she looked at Nicole--really looked at her--her mind ran wild with all the things she’s ever wanted to tell her. There were still worries about being completely honest about everything in her life but Nicole never failed to provide positive reinforcement whether she told her or not. Talking with Nicole was easy probably because she knew she actually listened. She was still scared of exposing herself emotionally but she felt she was ready to try, even if she couldn’t tell the whole story in one sitting. After all, if there was one thing she took away from today, it would be her conversation with her sister. That and Nicole’s bright smile when sharing her stories about her adventures with Dolls. The pure affection that poured out of Nicole and encompassed her. All of the sweet and thoughtful things she said or did. Waverly wanted to gush about everything about Nicole to try and explain to her why she felt the way she did but found it all came down to the one thing:

“I love you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading!


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